


Safe & Sound

by zhangjing



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hunger Games, M/M, Quarter Quell, chensung - Freeform, markhyuck, nomin, slowburn, there will be characters death but no major major ones!!, you dont need to have read the hunger games for this!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-23 07:11:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20004355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zhangjing/pseuds/zhangjing
Summary: "May the odds be ever in your favor." But this year, the odds are definitely not in Jeno's favor."He cares about something else way more than his own life," Jaemin's dad tells Jeno before leaving. Jeno doesn't understand what he meant by that until he enters the arena with his best friend, Jaemin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i don’t have a beta reader so sorry :(

Jeno comes back from the woods early in the morning. He couldn’t even close his eyes last night, afraid of the nightmares that might invade his sleep. His younger brother and sister are probably still asleep, cuddling each other for warmth. Even in May, District 12 could get pretty cold at night.

The sun hasn’t even fully risen when he walks to the Mayor’s front door. With shaky hands, he rings the doorbell. This might be the last time he ever sees him. They say _may the odds be ever in your favor_ , but honestly, they never are. Jeno’s name is in the bowl thirty-six times. If he’s lucky this year, his name will be in that same bowl forty-two times next year. Perks of being poor, right?

“I’m glad you could make it Jeno!” a cheerful voice snaps him out of his reverie. Suddenly, the basket of strawberries makes so much more sense. Standing in front of him is his best friend, but most importantly, his most loyal client, Na Jaemin.

They’ve known each other since they were five when they started going to school. There’s only one school in District 12, that’s why almost every kid practically knows each other. Ever since Jeno discovered the forest beneath the Fence and started to bring back food, Jaemin has always been his most trustworthy buyer. If after a long day of hunting, nobody wanted Jeno’s crops, Jaemin gladly bought them. Plus, money isn’t a problem for him since he is the Mayor’s son. His name is only in the bowl six times this year.

Jaemin likes strawberries; Jeno noticed that ages ago.

However, instead of greeting Jaemin with his usual eye smile, Jeno blurts out: “Hi Nana. I’m going to die.”

Shocked, Jaemin steps back a bit. He quickly shakes his head, his shocked expression vanishing instantly. “No, you’re not,” he reassures him with his signature smile. “Your name is only there thirty-six times. There are thousands of little papers in that bowl. You won’t be chosen.”

Obviously, with six little papers, Jaemin doesn’t have to fear anything. There he is, on the morning of the Reaping, all smiley and happy, ready to buy strawberries from his best friend.

“Don’t forget that it’s a quarter quell this year,” Jeno pursed his lips. “The 100th edition was unforgettable. So, this year, for the 125th edition, they want two male tributes. Our chances for being chosen are doubled!”

Jeno doesn’t know why he’s almost yelling at Jaemin. He’s probably just stressed, but something inside him is irritated that Jaemin will never understand the struggle of being poor, that Jaemin will never understand the struggle of fearing for his life every single day. If it wasn’t for Jeno’s adventures in the woods, his entire family would be dead.

But Jaemin, charming Jaemin, doesn’t get angry. Instead, he says: “Today’s your little sister’s first Reaping. At least, you know she’s safe for this year.”

Not able to think straight, Jeno throws his strawberries in Jaemin’s face and runs away, ignoring the money in the other boy’s hands.

✦

Jeno runs back home as fast as his body allows him to. Jaemin’s right, deep down, Jeno knows it. However, the thought of his sister, his precious baby, becoming a target of the Capitol is too much for him.

When he enters, he’s surprised to see everyone awake. However, unlike the atmosphere at Jaemin’s, it feels like somebody just died in the house. Everyone’s eyes are on him and no sound could be heard, except for the cats’ faint purr.

His mother’s eyes immediately fall to his hands. Empty. This morning was particularly difficult for Jeno to hunt. The only animal he saw was a small rabbit, which he tried to throw a knife at, but embarrassingly missed because of his lack of sleep. Then, for some reason, he picked strawberries.

His father sighs and Jeno suddenly feels guilt rushing through his veins. He could’ve at least brought back the strawberries for his family. Usually, this means no food on the table for the day, but since it’s the Reaping, everyone will be celebrating tonight. Everyone except for two families who’ll shut their doors and lights.

“Nono’s back!” his little brother breaks the heavy silence. He almost trips on his way to the living room. His hair is fluffy, his eyes are puffy. It looks like he just woke up.

He jumps into Jeno’s arms for a hug and Jeno doesn’t miss this chance to spin his three years old brother around, causing him to giggle uncontrollably. He’s too young to understand the Games since his parents usually don’t let him near the television during this time of the year. He’s too young to understand that this might be the last morning he has with his older brother.

Finally, Jeno’s mother speaks up. “Breakfast’s waiting for you on the table. Don’t worry about us.”

He looks to his right, where the dining table is. Two bowls of rice soup. In one of them, there are two pieces of chicken. Jeno notices his little sister sitting in front of the bowl without any chicken in it.

“Mom says it’s a tradition for us to eat before them,” she says, her voice almost lifeless. It sends cold shivers down Jeno’s spine. This isn’t like her at all. “But I have nothing to fear this year.”

They eat in silence. Jeno wants to talk to her, but nothing is coming out of his mouth. Even though only male tributes will be participating this year, the girls are still obligated to come to the Reaping.

Jeno finishes his meal before his sister. As he’s standing up, he takes the chance to put the other piece of chicken in her bowl.

On the bed he shares with his siblings, he finds the outfit his father wants him to wear this year. Right next to it, the dress his mother picked for his sister. The dress shirt is simple; it’s a soft baby blue color. The pants are just as simple; black. Jeno spends a good moment staring at himself in the mirror. He doesn’t look tough at all. Undoubtedly, he looks like he’s about to go on a first date. For a brief second, he wonders what Jaemin will wear.

It’s still pretty early; Jeno has exactly five hours to kill before he has to leave for the Justice Building, where the Reaping will be taking place. Usually, he spends this time with Jaemin, picking up flowers near the Fence, talking about everything and nothing, wandering in the market… The market! Maybe he could visit his friend!

The Hub is district 12’s black market. It’s open when the other stores aren’t, such as today, the day of the Reaping. It’s crowded, and Jeno feels slightly out of place with his outfit. The vendors, just like the customers, wear rags as clothes.

It doesn’t take long for him to find his friend, Yukhei, who’s busy laughing with one of his customers. Yukhei has it way worse than Jeno; his parents died in a mine explosion a few years ago. Since that day, he’s left on his own and makes a living by selling contraband. The Peacekeepers would’ve executed him a long time ago if it wasn’t for the fact that he sold them “stuff” that made them feel like they were on cloud nine. Also, he lost his left leg when he tried to sneak past the Fence to go into the forest. Unfortunately, the Fence was on and he got electrocuted.

Despite all of that, Yukhei is one of the happiest people Jeno knows. They help each other out. Whenever Jeno needs a new knife, Yukhei has it. Whenever Yukhei is dying of hunger, Jeno is there for him.

“Hey Xuxi,” Jeno awkwardly coughs, hoping to get his attention. Both the vendor and the customer turn their heads to look at him.

Yukhei’s face immediately lights up when he sees who’s standing in front of him. “Jen! What’s up?”

Jaemin and Yukhei don’t know each other since the latter stopped going to school a long time ago. But he feels like in another life, they would’ve gotten along quite nicely. They’re probably the only two people who still seem happy during Reaping Day (excluding his little brother).

“Bored,” Jeno shrugs, picking up a knife on the table. “And honestly, kind of terrified.”

“It’s a kukri,” Yukhei grins when he notices Jeno’s interest in the weapon. “Unlike the knives you’re used to, this one curves forward and down, instead of backwards and up.”

Jeno raises an eyebrow. He usually knows his knives pretty well, since he uses them to hunt. However, he has never seen this type of knife before.

“Probably the most superior combat knife,” Yukhei continues enthusiastically. “Perfect to chop anything. Wood, animals, humans…”

“Let’s not get into that,” Jeno cuts him off before he could say anything else. He makes sure to keep that information in mind though, but he doesn’t really want to hear more of it.

This doesn’t make his friend’s smile fade. “You look ready for the Reaping,” Yukhei eyes Jeno up and down. “I prefer this outfit from last year’s. You look cute today. Sadly for me, I’ll be wearing the exact same thing as last year. Can you believe that my fanciest clothes are clothes that the merchants wear every day?”

Jeno nods as an image of Jaemin this morning pops in his head. The boy was wearing a white polo with light brown pants. Then, he turns around to take a good look at the people walking around the Hub.

“It’s your last year,” Jeno says, putting the kukri down.

“Yup,” Yukhei sighs in content. “Then, for the rest of my life, I can just worry about dying of hunger instead of dying in an arena!”

He’s laughing, but Jeno and him both know that people like Yukhei, disabled and without a family, will be lucky if they even make it to thirty.

“You look tired,” Yukhei remarks. “Didn’t get much sleep last night huh?

“Nightmares,” Jeno simply says.

“You should probably go back home and sleep a little bit. Who knows what might happen this afternoon! You need to be at your best, and you and I both know that you can’t function when you’re tired.”

Jeno thanks his friend before leaving the market. He hopes Yukhei won’t get chosen. Even if he’s missing a leg, he’s still eligible to participate in the Hunger Games. No one’s safe from it unless you’re dead.

✦

“Nono, wake up! You’re going to be late!”

When Jeno opens his eyes, he’s greeted with the sight of his little brother shaking him. He doesn’t look in panic at all, he still has that youthful look in his eyes. The youthful look that most kids lose before they’re even teenagers.

His little brother probably doesn’t even know what he’s late for, but Jeno finds it endearing that he still cares.

Attendance at the Reaping is mandatory unless you’re on the verge of dying. Jeno’s parents and his little brother leave a little earlier. The participants and the audience are separated. On days like this, it’s almost impossible to find a good spot in front of the Hall of Justice. To Jeno’s family, a good spot is where they can watch the Reaping as far as possible.

Jeno and his younger sister leave the house at one o’clock sharp. The Reaping doesn’t start until two, but the participants need to get there earlier as well.

They’re holding hands, and Jeno can feel the little girl next to him tremble like a leaf. He tries to comfort her by giving her hand a small squeeze, but this only makes her even more nervous.

“It’s going to be okay,” Jeno lowers his head as he softly speaks. “You won’t get chosen this year.”

This doesn’t seem to reassure her. She lifts her head up so she can look into her brother’s eyes. Jeno only then realizes that she’s been holding back her tears for God knows how long.

“I’m not nervous for me,” she says quietly, almost murmuring. There are so many people walking next to them that if Jeno didn’t lower his head, he wouldn’t have heard her. “I’m nervous for you.”

Taken by surprise, Jeno flinches a little. He literally feels his heart drop and he immediately tears his eyes away from his sister. He definitely didn’t expect this answer.

“Your chances of being picked doubled,” she adds with a tiny voice.

Jeno gulps, trying his best to respond. He notices that they slowed down their walking pace. Everyone is walking past them. “But you don’t have to worry about yourself.”

“Yeah, but I’m worried about you.”

Jeno doesn’t know how to reply, so he starts walking faster, dragging his sister along with him. He feels her eyes intensely staring at him, but he’s too scared to look back. _The Games really kill the child in you. I hope my little brother won’t be like her when he turns twelve._

They quickly arrive in front of the section reserved for twelve years old girls. Even if they shouldn’t fear anything this year, they still look frightened. Understandable; they probably have an older brother who might get chosen.

Before leaving her with her group of friends, Jeno leans down and softly kisses his little sister’s forehead. Under other circumstances, she would’ve whined at Jeno for “embarrassing” her in front of her friends, but today, she doesn’t do that. She just lets the tear she’s been holding back for so long go.

The section for seventeen years old boys is much closer to the stage. The younger children are in the back since they have less chance of getting their name picked. He spots Yukhei easily since he’s the only one in a wheelchair. When he sees him, he quickly waves him over with a big grin. Pretty unusual for the Reaping.

“How was the nap?” Yukhei casually asks Jeno, moving back a bit to give his friend some space to stand.

“Good,” Jeno couldn’t help but smile back. “You brought your wheelchair?”

“Yeah! I only save it for special occasions,” he winks playfully as he snaps and points finger guns at him.

Yukhei’s wheelchair is his most prized possession. After he lost his leg, he spent a whole year walking around with crutches. Since he’s very liked among the people living in the Seam (where most of District 12 lives), everyone gathered up the money to buy him a wheelchair. He doesn’t use it often though, only when it’s necessary like today. He’s scared to break it since he knows he’s going to have to use the same one for the rest of his life.

Jeno deals with his stress by rambling to Yukhei. Yukhei, being a good friend, listens and occasionally gives in an opinion or two. Now and then, Jeno scans the thousands of heads in the crowd, trying to find Jaemin, but to his disappointment, he’s nowhere to be seen. He doesn’t want to be pessimist, but he doesn’t want his last conversation with Jaemin to have been a silly fight.

On stage, there are four chairs. Two of them are occupied by District 12’s mentors; Kim Yerim and Irene. Yerim won the Hunger Games four years ago, at the age of sixteen. Her win was a classic; she hid in a tree during the entire Games and ended up killing her last opponent by setting up a trap. On the other side, Irene, who used to be named Bae Joohyun (she changed it after becoming a Victor), won eleven years ago, at seventeen. Unlike Yerim, she fought hard and wasn’t afraid to manipulate the tributes into falling in love with her, then mercilessly murdering them. In short, they are both respectable women.

The third chair belongs to the Mayor of District 12, Mr. Na, Jaemin’s father. He’s a pretty laid-back guy who doesn’t get involved with anything illegal that’s going on in the district, such as Jeno hunting in the woods. He knows how to bribe the Peacekeepers and does his best to keep his people happy, despite the fact they’re all dying of hunger.

Lastly, the fourth chair is reserved for Ten, their escort. Unlike most people from the Capitol, Ten keeps his hair and makeup simple, putting all of his creativity in his clothes instead. While everyone else is wearing grey, he surely stands out with his rainbow outfit. He impatiently looks at the clock as he fixes his fake smile.

As soon as the clock strikes two, Mr. Na stands up from his chair and walks to the middle of the stage, in front of the microphone. On the two giant screens at the ends of the stage, a video of the history of the country is shown. It’s the same video every year, showing the crowd the horrors their country went through throughout the years. The video ends quickly, and the Mayor ends his speech by thanking the president and by presenting the two mentors.

Next, Ten gets up, wearing his best fake smile, and walks towards the microphone. With joy and excitement, he shouts into the microphone: “Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!”

Nobody’s clapping. The only person who shows a bit of reaction is Yukhei, who loudly snorts. “The odds are never in our favor, the people. They’re only in favor of the rich, the Capitol. He doesn’t have to fear for his life every day, so of course, the odds are in his favor.”

Thankfully, no one heard him. If a Peacekeeper was nearby, he could’ve been shot on the spot, in front of everyone.

“I would’ve said ‘as usual, ladies first’!” Ten chirps, satisfied with his joke. “But this year, for the 125th Hunger Games, the fifth Quarter Quell, only boys will go into the arena. You’ve heard me right, two male tributes will be chosen this year. Girls, you have nothing to fear!”

Again, no one’s laughing at his joke. Only an insensitive man from the Capitol could joke about the death of innocent children.

Slightly irritated by the lack of response from the crowd, Ten quickly shoots a glare at everyone. But, he immediately goes back to his smiling self. He knows the cameras are on and soon, every single person in the country will be watching every single second of the Reaping. He can’t embarrass himself if he wishes to be promoted to a better district next year.

Ten moves towards the bowl filled with papers with boys’ names. He puts his arm in slowly, secretly enjoying the fear in everyone’s eyes, before rapidly pulling out a piece of paper. Jeno can’t breathe. _Please don’t pick me, please don’t pick me, please don’t-_

“Lee Jeno!”

✦

“What would you do if I were chosen to go to the Hunger Games?” twelve years old Jeno asked twelve years old Jaemin as they walked into their classroom together.

“Why are you asking me that?” Jaemin tilted his head in confusion. He sat down at his usual spot.

Jeno scratched his head. “It’s our first Reaping next month and… I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared!” Jaemin said a bit too loudly, causing the girls next to them to glare at them. They couldn’t care less. “Our parents have gone through it as well and they survived it!”

“Yeah, but my name is in there six times,” Jeno bit his lip. “If I die, no one would take care of my family!”

Jaemin placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not going to die. And if you do, I’ll take care of your family, okay?”

“You promise?” asked Jeno with a tiny voice.

“I promise,” Jaemin replied with his signature smile. The smile that had always warmed Jeno’s heart.

✦

_Fuck._

Jeno must’ve had been standing there for a few seconds without moving an inch of his body. He waits, hoping that he heard his name wrong or there was a mistake in the papers, anything.

“Will Lee Jeno come on stage please?” Ten beams.

Jeno doesn’t budge. _This can’t be real. The odds should be in my favor._

It’s Yukhei who helps him come back to reality. He looks too serious; he’s not smiling anymore. He grabs Jeno’s hand and shakes it. “Jen, it’s going to be okay.”

His mind is blank. He can’t process what just happened and he feels like his feet just don’t want to move. Yukhei shakes him more, but it’s a faint voice in the back that truly makes him realize what’s going on.

“I volunteer! I volunteer for Nono!”

All heads turn towards the owner of the voice, but Jeno. He could recognize that voice anywhere. He closes his eyes, wanting to collapse into the ground and never see the light again. His head hurts so much that he feels like its going to explode. He wants to cry, but the tears are stuck in his throat.

“How adorable,” Ten coos. “But sweetie, you do know the rules of this year’s Quarter Quell right? Boys only!”

_This can’t be happening._

His little sister, his tiny little sister, is running towards the stage with determination in her eyes. She doesn’t even spare a glance at his brother, who’s still too weak to move, and would’ve ended up on stage if it wasn’t for the Peacekeepers.

She tries to kick them, bite them, yell at them, but nothing’s working. They drag her back into the twelve years old section as tears start rolling down her cheeks. The scene is heartbreaking and Jeno finally walks out of the crowd, making his way towards the stage. His lips are trembling from the nerves, but he’s trying to keep them controlled. He needs to look tough for the cameras; he needs to look like he’s ready for the Games if he wants to attract any potential sponsor.

“So, you’re Lee Jeno, huh?” Ten smiles, telling him with his arm to come closer to the microphone. “Bet that was your sister, right? She’s adorable. Now, tell me, how old are you?”

Even up on stage, where he can see the entire district, he can’t find Jaemin. “Seventeen,” he manages to say. He doesn’t sound too confident, but at least, he didn’t stutter.

Ten pretends to be surprised (to entertain the viewers in the Capitol), even though he saw him in the section for seventeen years olds. “Alright, so, does anyone volunteer for Lee Jeno, seventeen?”

The crowd stays silent and Jeno isn’t surprised. District 12 hasn’t had a volunteer for who knows how many years. Ten seems to quickly notice it as well. “Okay, so uh, next tribute!” he awkwardly says, walking towards the same bowl he picked Jeno’s name from. However, before he can put his hand in, another way too familiar voice is heard.

“I volunteer as tribute for Jeno!”

“My, my, Jeno, you’re one popular boy, aren’t you!” Ten cackles, amused by the situation. “You may come forward, volunteer!”

Nothing could’ve prepared Jeno for the sight of Yukhei, in his wheelchair, struggling to make his way to the stage. His eyebrows are furrowed, and he has a firm expression on his face. And Ten too apparently, since he gasps loudly into the microphone. Before the Peacekeepers could carry him on stage, Jeno grabs the microphone and says: “No, he can’t do that.”

“What?”

This is definitely the most interesting Reaping Ten has ever been to in his entire career.

“I said, he can’t do that,” Jeno insists firmly. He’s looking down at Yukhei, who’s yelling at him to stop. “You asked for volunteers, no one answered, and you were about to pick the next tribute. According to the rules, he can’t volunteer. It’s too late.”

Ten scratches his chin, fighting a smirk. “Oh my! This is getting so interesting! Well, uh, technically, since I didn’t name the next tribute yet, he still can volunteer, I think?”

“We all know he won’t last a second in the arena,” Jeno continues, still staring at Yukhei, sadness in his eyes. “Let me go.”

“But the rules-“

“Who cares,” Mr. Na cuts him off. “Let him go. District 12 is not about to send a disabled tribute into the Games.”

There’s pity in the Mayor’s voice. They know each other pretty well since Jeno used to always hang out at Jaemin’s. _Jaemin. Was our last conversation really a stupid fight?_

Yukhei finally stops yelling. Another boy from the crowd pushes him back to his section.

The Mayor gives Jeno a small nod before sitting back on his chair. Ten, a bit dazzled by what happened, finds it a bit hard to control the crowd. Everyone is angry, screaming hurtful words at the Capitol.

Jeno tries to find his family in the crowd, but it’s impossible.

“Everyone, quiet!” Ten shouts in vain. Peacekeepers pull out their guns, threatening to shoot anyone who seems too aggressive.

Irritated, Ten rolls his eyes and without hesitation, takes out the first piece of paper his hand touches in the bowl. He unfolds it quickly and only when he reads the name of the finale tribute of District 12, the crowd shuts up.

“Na Jaemin!”

_May the odds be ever in your favor._

Jeno’s eyes widen in shock as he scans the crowd. Just like when his name was called, he feels like his entire body is going to give up on him. He blinks a couple of times and pinches himself, but it’s not a nightmare. It’s real.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, Jaemin’s name is only in there six times. Jaemin is the Mayor’s son, he’s like practically immune to the Games! Yet, the unthinkable happened.

Finally, he sees Jaemin. He mentally slaps himself for not noticing him earlier. How couldn’t he? Jaemin is like a flower among the weeds. He’s wearing a navy suit, and suddenly, Jeno feels self-conscious about his baby blue button-up shirt.

Jaemin isn’t smiling. With his chin up, his back straight, he looks like the most confident man in the district. His eyes don’t wander around the crowd like Jeno’s, they’re fixed in front of him.

“Wait, Na Jaemin?” Ten sounds surprised. He rereads the piece of paper and gasps. “Na Jaemin! Are you the Mayor’s son?”

“Yes,” Jaemin answers simply, his voice not shaking at all. Jeno has never seen this side of Jaemin before. Jaemin’s too sure of himself, it’s like he knew he was going to be chosen. “Before you ask, I’m seventeen.”

Ten is slightly surprised by Jaemin’s response, so he chuckles nervously. “Okay, so does anyone volunteer for Na Jaemin, seventeen?”

Silence. Jeno silently hopes Yukhei isn’t going to volunteer again, and to his relief, he doesn’t.

“Well, this concludes the Reaping. Please welcome District 12’s tributes for the 125th Hunger Games, Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin!”

Jeno and Jaemin exchange an eye contact for the first time since this morning. Jeno knows he looks like he’s about to faint, but Jaemin’s stare is indecipherable. People say the Games change you as a person, and maybe that’s happening to Jaemin. Of course, killing your best friend for your own survival doesn’t sound too good, so maybe Jaemin’s trying to end this friendship now.

As soon as Ten finishes his sentence, a group of Peacekeepers leads the two of them inside of the Justice Building. Inside, they are separated into two different rooms. The Justice Building is probably the most luxurious building in the district. Jeno has been to Jaemin’s house before, but nothing compares to what he’s seeing now. The couches are soft, made of velvet. And he has never seen that many chandeliers in his life.

“You have visitors,” a Peacekeeper emotionlessly grunts as the door slams open.

Jeno’s mother, holding his little brother in his arms, bursts into the room. His brother looks confused, and his mother looks like she just cried, her eyes still red.

“Where is Nono going?” his little brother crawls out of their mother’s arms to sit on Jeno’s lap. “Why does everyone look sad?”

Seeing his brother so innocent and so concerned makes Jeno want to curl into a ball and burst into tears. But he knows he can’t do that since the cameras will be all up in his face when he comes out of the room. And no way he’ll look weak in front of the whole country.

“Nono is going on a trip,” Jeno murmurs, hugging his brother closer to his chest. “I might come back, I might not come back. Whatever it is, I want you to know that I love you so much. Nono loves you and will always care for you, okay?”

“B-But I want you to come back,” his younger brother mumbles. “Promise me you’ll come back, Nono! I want you to be there for me on my first day of school!”

“My heart will be, okay?” Jeno ruffles his hair. “But you need to promise me to listen to mommy, daddy and your big sis, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll be good for Nono!”

“Also,” Jeno kisses the top of his head. “Every night, look at the moon. I’ll be looking at the same moon.”

His little brother nods happily as he comfortably rests his head on Jeno’s chest. Jeno’s mother, who was watching the scene unfold from afar, approaches them. “Jeno…” she starts with so much pain in her eyes.

“Listen,” It hurts Jeno to talk to her like that, but he knows it must be done. “You and I both know what’s going to happen. You need to stay strong, mom. Dad’s not going to stick around, you know it too. It’s not a matter of ‘if’, but more of ‘when’. Deaths in the mines aren’t uncommon.”

His little brother probably doesn’t understand anything that’s going on.

“You’ll have to take care of the little ones by yourself eventually,” Jeno continues. His mother is shivering. “Don’t let them take tesserae, look at what happened to me. Their names shouldn’t be more than seven times in that bowl.”

She nods.

“If Dad goes, you’ll need to be strong,” Jeno’s voice is starting to get unstable. He looks up to the ceiling, trying to hold his tears back in. “I know you love to make shoes, but you’ll need to drop that job. Try to get a cow or chickens. Milk and eggs sell more. If a worst case scenario happens, contact Yukhei. He’s the guy who volunteered for me.”

“Y-You’re going to come back,” his mother shakes her head, sobbing. She takes his hands and holds them in hers. “You’re strong Jen. You’re kind and lovable. You can come back.”

Jeno pulls the two of them into a hug as he tries his best not to cry. “Mom, be strong for the little ones. They can’t see you cry.”

Then, the same Peacekeeper from before opens the door and signals them to leave. Time’s up.

“We’re going to leave Nono, okay?” his mother wipes her tears away and smiles at the younger boy. She has to physically pull him out of Jeno’s arms and it breaks Jeno’s heart to see him whine.

“Good luck, Nono!”

The door shuts close behind them. Almost immediately, the door opens again. This time, it’s his father and his little sister. The two of them are crying as they pull him into a warm hug. It’s suffocating, but Jeno would rather die suffocated his family’s arms than die in an arena filled with strangers.

They don’t say anything until the three minutes pass by. Jeno tells them he loves them before they leave the room. He realizes that he’s shaking so much and to calm himself down, he aggressively runs his hands through the velvet couch.

Someone else enters the room. To his surprise, it’s the Mayor, Jaemin’s dad. He isn’t quite sure why he’s there, but something about his presence his reassuring. Mr. Na’s eyes are still red and puffy, and Jeno guesses that he just came back from visiting his son.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” he says, sitting down on the couch. “If I could save you, you know I would.”

“I know,” Jeno dryly answers. He’s glad that he’s talking with Jaemin’s dad right now. He at least doesn’t make him cry. “We all would.”

His response doesn’t seem to bother him. “I don’t know if I’m happy or sad that you’re Jaemin’s district partner,” he continues and Jeno wants to put a blade into his mouth to shut him up.

He knows that Mr. Na certainly wants his son to win, but does he have to rub it in his face like this?

“I know this sounds bad,” he awkwardly adds, rubbing the back of his head. “But I’m happy because you’re something Jaemin can hold on to in the arena. You’re his last home, the last piece of happiness he’s going to have before he dies.”

Well, this isn’t what Jeno expected to hear. “You think he’s going to die?”

Mr. Na ignores his question. “I’m sad because he cares about something else way more than his own life,” he looks down. Jeno knows he’s about to cry again and he doesn’t how to react. Should he hug him? Comfort him? Pat him on the back?

He stares at the ground for a moment before looking back into Jeno’s eyes. He pulls out a necklace from his pocket. There’s a round shaped locket attached to it.

“This is for you,” Mr. Na says as he puts it into Jeno’s palm and closes his hand on it, forcing him to take it. “Please, don’t open the locket until you know you’re going to die. I just want you to be happy in your last moments.”

Jeno is speechless. The Peacekeeper tells them that their time is up, and Mr. Na leaves the room after telling Jeno good luck. Jeno is still speechless, mouth open in shock, with the necklace in his hand.

Then, there’s a loud knock on the door that almost makes Jeno jump out of surprise. The door slowly opens, and he’s greeted by Yukhei entering in his wheelchair. He isn’t smiling like usual. In fact, he looks angry.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Lee Jeno?” Yukhei snaps. He’s never seen him that mad before. “Do you have a death wish?”

“Calm down, Xuxi,” Jeno softly rubs his friend’s shoulder.

“No, I won’t!” he’s practically fuming. “I knew what I was doing! You’re one of my friends Jen! I did what I had to do!”

Jeno loses patience and raises his voice. “I wasn’t going to let you die for me!”

“I volunteered because I knew I was going to die anyway! My left leg is infected, and I don’t have enough money to do surgery! Do you know how much it fucking hurts Jen? I’d rather jump off my metal plaque too soon and get blown up into pieces than suffer for who knows how long!”

Jeno wants to cry so badly that he lets himself go. All the tears he held back since his name was called are running down his cheeks. Yukhei quickly forgets about his anger and pulls his friend into a hug. He’s rubbing his back and whispering comforting words into his ears.

“I-I didn’t k-know,” Jeno chokes out between two sobs. “I’m s-sorry.”

“I should’ve told you earlier,” Yukhei signs, patting his hair. “You’re my friend, you deserved to know.”

They stay in silence for a while until Yukhei speaks up again.

“Hey, you could win,” And he’s back to his old self again. Even if Jeno can’t see him, he can tell that his friend is grinning right now. “A Victor is probably the richest person in the district. You can then be rich and pay for my surgery!”

Despite everything, Jeno laughs. That’s why he loves Yukhei; no matter what, he has this talent to make anyone laugh. He’s going to miss him. “I wish.”

“No seriously,” Yukhei pulls away from the hug. “You could win. I’ve seen you with those knives. You’re crazy good man! How can you throw a knife at a bird flying in the sky and _not_ get injured? That’s some mad talent man.”

“Yeah, but they are animals,” Jeno shakes his head. “In the arena, it’s real people.”

For the second time of the day, Yukhei gives him excellent advice. “I know it’s going to be hard, but you need to think of us okay? Think of your family, of me, of your friends. Or your crush if you have one. When you kill someone, you’re one step closer of seeing us again.”

With that being said, time’s up. The Peacekeeper helps Yukhei leave the room and Jeno’s by himself again.

He takes some tissues on the table next to the couch and tries to wipe his tears away, but without using too much force. Otherwise, his eyes will be even redder. A few minutes pass, and some of his friends come to visit him. It’s always the same message: “Please come back!” or “We’ll miss you!” and honestly, Jeno just wants to leave. It’s too much.

Soon enough, a Peacekeeper walks into the room and asks Jeno to follow him into a car. The ride to the train station is long, and Jeno immediately regrets crying earlier. The station is filled with cameras and reporters.

He sees his face on the huge screens broadcasting the entire thing to the country. To his displeasure, he notices that his eyes are still red and puffy. _Showing weakness isn’t good._ On the contrary, Jaemin looks perfectly fine. More than fine, _charming._ He smiles warmly at the cameras, nods respectfully at the reporters and even winks at a few girls in the crowd.

As soon as they get on the train, the doors close behind them and the train starts moving so fast and abruptly that Jeno almost falls.

The train is a million times more luxurious than the Justice Building. Each one of them has a bedroom and a bathroom all for themselves. Unlike District 12, everything around them is shining like it’s gold. In here, Jaemin keeps his act going. But just like Jeno, he doesn’t hide his surprise.

“God damn this place looks expensive,” he whistles to no one in particular. Irene makes sure to glare at him. “I could live here my whole life.”

“Win and next year, I’ll make sure you become a mentor,” Irene hisses at him as she’s heading to the other compartment.

Yerim crosses her arms on her chest and raises an eyebrow in amusement. “You do have your way with words, Mr. Na.”

Jaemin finally stops staring into the nothingness and turns his head over to face his new mentor. He tilts his head with a coy smile and says: “Thank you, _Yeri._ ”

The older girl rolls her eyes and shoves his arm playfully. All of this is happening in front of Jeno, who’s just standing there witnessing everything awkwardly. He doesn’t think Jaemin and Yeri have known each other before today, but they definitely look like they’re already friends. While they’re not looking, he discreetly heads to his room.

Jeno spends an entire hour laying in his bed and staring at the ceiling. He wants to cry again, but the tears aren’t coming up. A few hours ago, he was still hugging his brother, talking with his family, _and Yukhei was teaching him about knives._ Suddenly, there’s a loud knock on the door and Irene storms into the room.

“Dinner in ten,” she pants. “I’ve been running around and looking for you for almost half an hour. Couldn’t you just tell us where you were going?”

“Sorry,” Jeno replies, eyes still fixated on the ceiling.

Irene sighs as she slowly backs into the hallway. “You don’t need to apologize; I know it’s hard. It was very brave of you for not letting your friend volunteer for you.”

Jeno immediately sits up and stares at her with wide eyes. He didn’t expect her to bring it up, and the thought of Yukhei volunteering is making his heart clench.

“Oh, and also,” she adds before closing the door. “Take a shower and change out of your Reaping clothes. You need to look more presentable for when we arrive at the Capitol.”

✦

It’s not hard for Jeno to find his way to the dining room. Everyone’s chatting loudly and he feels little embarrassed for secluding himself this whole time.

Dinner isn’t served yet, but a fancy looking dinnerware set has already been placed on the table. Ten is the first to notice Jeno’s arrival.

“Almost didn’t see you there!” he laughs enthusiastically. “Are you stealthy? Because if so, that’s an advantage for you in the arena, haha!”

There’s an empty seat between Irene and Jaemin, so naturally, Jeno decides to sit there.

“Excuse him,” the oldest of the mentors speaks. “Ten is a good guy, but he’s from the Capitol. They think the Games are a source of amusement.”

The food arrives quickly, and Jeno and Jaemin both don’t say a word while they’re devouring their meals like starved men. Even if Jaemin is considered “rich”, he’s never seen that much food in front of him in his entire life. Meanwhile, Jeno is, technically, a “starved man”.

After dinner, they leave their plates on the table, there are way too many servants on this train, and make their way to the living room. There’s a huge television on the wall, currently playing every district’s Reaping.

“Just in time for District 1,” grins Ten like it’s the best thing that could happen. “Come here, children! Let’s watch!”

Jeno can’t remember all the faces that are shown on the screen. Most of them look frightened, unsurprisingly. However, some stand out more than others. District 1 are both volunteers. They look like your typical Careers with their muscles and smug faces. For District 2, there’s only one volunteer. But, since the crowd is chanting the name of the boy who got picked, he guesses that he was meant to participate after all.

District 3’s tributes both look terrified, but one of them makes Jeno shiver. He’s the only one, for now, who finds the cameras and dares to make direct eye contact with them. He isn’t smiling, isn’t crying, isn’t angry. He’s just staring, and Jeno’s soul feels violated.

To his surprise, there’s also only one volunteer in District 4. The other boy looks much younger than all of them and is literally shaking when he says his name in the microphone. He’s probably the youngest of the tributes this year, alongside with a tall kid from District 7.

Then, it’s District 12’s turn. Jeno feels all the eyes on him when his name is called. The scene unfolding is too painful for everyone to watch. His little sister volunteering. The tears. Jeno trembling on stage. Disabled Yukhei volunteering. Screaming. The Mayor. More tears.

Next, it’s Jaemin’s name. Everyone in the room gasps at the sight of the Mayor’s, Jaemin’s dad, reaction. He’s about to stand, but his hands, clutched onto the chair, are keeping him seated. His face makes him look like he’s just been shot in the chest.

“Oh well,” Ten breaks the silence. Jeno might hate him, but he’s thankful at least for him for filling up the silences. “This concludes today’s schedule! Rest well, children. You’ll need it. Think about who you want to ally with tonight and tomorrow morning, we’ll talk about it. Night!”

The three adults immediately run off to their respective rooms, leaving Jeno and Jaemin alone on the couch.

They haven’t talked at all to each other since this morning, and Jeno can already feel the uncomfortable awkwardness in the room. What are they going to say to each other? ‘Sorry that this had to be this way’? ‘Maybe we should stop being friends so that killing each other wouldn’t be as weird’?

Jeno can’t bring himself to look at Jaemin in the eyes so it’s the latter who takes the initiative to talk first.

“Can’t believe I told you, you weren’t going to be chosen,” Jaemin lets out a chuckle, laughing to himself.

“And I can’t believe I thought there was no one way you’d get chosen,” Jeno adds. He finally builds up the courage to look up from the ground and look at Jaemin. His best friend’s already looking at him.

“The odds are never in our fucking favor,” Jaemin continues, softly stroking the couch like Jeno did in the Justice Building. “Out of everyone, it just had to be you.”

“I was scared that our last conversation would be our fight,” Jeno blurts out. Jaemin seems taken aback from his comment and stops moving his hand.

“It wouldn’t have,” Jaemin gives him a small smile. It’s not the smile he had on the entire afternoon in front of the cameras, no, it’s a real smile. It’s a smile that Jaemin only saves for Jeno. “You know I would’ve gone into that room and cried like a baby. I would’ve refused to apologize, but when the Peacekeeper would come to tell me to leave, I would then apologize and pull you into a hug. Then, I would’ve revealed to you a secret that I probably would’ve regretted telling you if you came back alive.”

A sudden warmth fills Jeno’s entire body. He’s relieved that Jaemin doesn’t want to end their friendship for the sake of the Games. _Yet,_ a little voice in Jeno’s head reminds him, but he doesn’t want to go there.

“I’m so glad you said that,” Jeno says, delighted. “I thought you wanted to stop being friends.”

“Never,” Jaemin stares at him with another indecipherable look on his face. “You’re the only person who keeps me from going insane here.”

Suddenly, Jaemin’s dad’s words ring through his ears again. _You’re something Jaemin can hold on to in the arena. You’re his last home, the last piece of happiness he’s going to have before he dies._ Those are depressing words, but they aren’t wrong. His last weeks alive are going to go by way too fast and before he knows it, Jeno is going to be dead.

Therefore, he shouldn’t think too much before doing anything. People like to throw around the term _carpe diem_ a lot, and in their case, they need to take it literally. Without thinking twice, Jeno jumps on Jaemin and holds him in his arms. Jaemin is a little shocked at first, but he’s fast to wrap his arms around his friend.

They stay like that for seconds? Minutes? Hours? Jeno loses track of time and lets himself forget about everything in Jaemin’s embrace. He doesn’t move until Jaemin fake coughs under him. “You’re crushing me.”

Cheeks bright red, Jeno instantly pulls back and sits down. He mumbles a quiet sorry, but Jaemin isn’t mad at him. In fact, he’s laughing. “Your weight is a huge advantage for you for hand to hand combat.”

“Stop letting Ten’s humor influence you,” Jeno grumbles, still flustered. They’ve hugged before, but this time, everything about it felt too…intimate. It’s weird.

Jaemin’s smile doesn’t vanish, but by the tone of his voice, Jeno knows that he’s completely serious. “I’m not joking. You’re built well. We should talk about it tomorrow with our mentors.”

Jeno just shrugs and ignores Jaemin’s compliment. He knows he can trust his best friend, but deep down, he can’t shake off the thought of him betraying him someday.

Alliances are tricky in the Games. Building real friendships isn’t a good idea. Jeno has seen tributes cry over their friend’s dead body. It’s truly heartbreaking and Jeno hopes he won’t have to do that with Jaemin. Plus, alliances never last. At some point in the game, they’ll have to split up, because, at some point, there are going to have fewer tributes in the arena than at the beginning. It’d be a real bummer if they ended up in the top two and had to fight each other.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Jaemin sighs getting up. It’s getting late, there are almost no lights outside. The moon is shinning up in the sky and it’s the only thing illuminating the night. “Wanna sleep in my room? I’ll be more comfortable if you’re around.”

Jeno knows that he won’t be catching any sleep tonight either. Rather than being left alone in his room with his dark thoughts, he prefers staying with Jaemin. He nods, and Jaemin’s face immediately brightens up.

Their bodies aren’t touching each other, but they’re face to face. Jeno borrows a pair of pajamas from Jaemin’s drawers, brushes his teeth with one of the dozens of toothbrushes in the bathroom and hops on to the bed.

Jeno wants to talk, but about what? Their past is too painful to even think about, and he doesn’t want to talk about the Games either. So, they spend the night staring at each other in silence until they slowly drift to sleep.

The next morning, they’re woken up by a loud screech. Jeno realizes that he’s laying on Jaemin’s chest and panickily pushes him away. Jaemin, him, lazily opens his eyes as he groans. The sun has fully risen and so is Ten apparently.

“Holy Jesus Christ, my non-virgin eyes!” he yells before shutting the door.

It takes a second for the two tributes to process what happened. Jaemin slams a pillow on his face and falls back into the bed.

“His non-virgin eyes have nothing to worry about,” Jeno chuckles, his adorable eye smile showing. “We’re fully clothed.”

Jaemin yawns. His face is hidden under the pillow, but strands of his fluffy hair are all over the place. Jeno wishes he could stop the time and stay like this with Jaemin forever, but a knock on the door brings him back to reality.

“I can’t believe I’m the only responsible adult on this train,” Yerim slams the door open. She doesn’t seem concerned at all by what she’s seeing. “Ten acts like you’re naked and Irene’s too much of a prude to enter a ‘boy’s bedroom’.”

“We’re not naked,” Jeno blinks rapidly. Next to him, Jaemin’s still whining.

“Yeri, please leave. I don’t want to see your face this morning.”

Jeno feels chills when Yerim stomps a foot on the floor, annoyed. “I told you to stop calling me that, Nana!”

“Jokes on you, I love that nickname,” he throws a pillow at his mentor. “Please leave!”

“Fine,” she grumbles. “Breakfast is in thirty minutes.”

As soon as she leaves the room, Jeno rolls out of the bed.

“Hey, where are you going?” Jaemin pulls away the pillow from his face and sits up, confused.

Jeno picks up his clothes from the floor. “Back to my room to change and take a quick shower.”

Even if he just took one last evening, Jeno must admit, he quite likes the showers here. Back home, he washes himself with cold water from a bucket. One time out of two, there’s a dead bug in that bucket. However, here, the showers are warm and cozy.

“Also, since when did you become besties with Yerim?” Jeno asks. This question has been lingering in his mind since yesterday.

Jaemin gets out of bed as well. His hair is messy yet looks so fluffy that Jeno just wants to run his fingers through it.

“I have my ways,” Jaemin jokingly raises his eyebrows up and down suggestively. “Her friend has a huge crush on me. She visited me yesterday and told me about all of Yeri’s secrets. And, she told me she’d take good care of me.”

“Oh.”

Jeno doesn’t know why but he suddenly feels uneasy. Jaemin’s smarter than he looks, and he might be setting up a trap for Jeno. He already has a mentor on his side. Jaemin’s charming, it’s not going to be hard for him to swoon Irene and Ten and then they could all plot against Jeno to-

“I can hear you overthinking,” Jaemin yawns and stretches. His shirt lifts up a little and of course, Jeno steals a small glimpse at his abs. “Don’t worry, I told her to look out for you too. Plus, Irene hates me. She thinks I’m on to something, which is completely absurd! And Irene likes you. She respects you for not letting Yukhei volunteer for you.”

 _Yukhei._ Jeno tries to imagine how he is right now. He’s probably at the Hub, continuing to sell his contraband. Knowing him, he’d probably show off that kukri, telling everyone that _the_ Lee Jeno, an honorable tribute of District 12, touched that knife before. Or maybe he’d be a little more down than usual. He’d try to fake a smile in front of his customers while replaying the Reaping in his head over and over again.

It’s Monday, today. His sister is probably at school. At school, during the Games, it is mandatory for the teachers to show footage of the Games. They’re probably replaying the Reaping. His little sister is probably rewatching herself volunteer for her brother. His father is definitely working at the mine. Jeno hopes the mine won’t explode today. His mother is still at home with his little brother, trying to keep him away from the television, like every year, while trying her best to finish the boots she’s been working on for days. Did they cry? Are they thinking of him?

Jeno hates himself for not thinking of his little brother last night when he was looking at the moon. Did his little brother remember that promise?

“By the way, who is Yukhei?” Jaemin asks curiously, snapping him out of his thoughts. “You never told me about him before.”

“He’s a friend from the Hub,” Jeno replies, walking out of the door. “At first, I felt dumb for not letting him take my place. But now, I’m glad he didn’t. I’d rather die than see the two of you die.”

✦

Breakfast is just as delicious as last night’s dinner. This time, Jeno tries not to eat too much because he needs to be in shape for tonight; the Tribute Parade.

It’s a ceremony where the Capitol can see the tributes in real life for the first time. Usually, you need to look at your best, because that’s when sponsors start getting involved in the equation. Sponsors are the most trustworthy allies a tribute can have. They can send the tributes anything in the arena and often, they’re essential to one’s survival.

After Jaemin finishes chugging his disgusting coffee, Ten clears his throat to speak up. “I hope you guys kept it appropriate in the room last night and discussed strategies.”

“No, we didn’t and we’re sorry,” Jeno lowers his head in shame. Ten’s right. Since his name was picked from the bowl, every second has been precious. _But you should also be happy while you still can._

“No worries,” Yerim waves her hands around as someone (Irene?) kicks Ten in the leg. “Do whatever you want, we don’t care.”

Jeno sighs in relief. Those three people in front of him are also the most important people to him during the Games. They’re the ones who’ll help him with strategy, hook him up with allies and find sponsors for him. If he was on their bad side, he’s sure to die.

“Anyways,” Irene says firmly. “I assume you guys want to be allies.”

“Yes,” both Jeno and Jaemin say at the same time.

The mentors exchange a glance and nod in satisfaction. “Good,” Irene states. “I hate it when tributes don’t become allies with the tribute from their own district.”

“Anyone caught your eye from the Reaping?” Yerim asks. Her eyes are intense, like if they are analyzing every one of their moves.

“I don’t know why, but that kid from District 3 who kept staring into the camera…” Jeno starts, thoughtful. “I feel like he’d make a good ally.”

Jaemin scoffs and rolls his eyes in disapproval. “Are you kidding me? He’s fucking weird. He’s from District 3, basically one of the weakest districts.”

“District 3 has the smartest tributes.” Jeno frowns. “This guy is something different. I’ve never seen someone find the cameras, let alone have the guts to directly stare into them.”

“I like that kid from seven,” Jaemin ignores him. “The child, not the 18 years old one.”

Jeno’s eyes are wide open in disbelief. “What?” he raises his voice a little bit. “You think a kid is better than a smart tribute from three?”

“Yeah,” Jaemin has the nerve to chuckle. Is he making fun of Jeno? “Because I know he won’t betray us. Unlike your little boy from three who looks like he already knows how to kill all of us one by one.”

The two mentors seem to enjoy the little quarrel between the two boys. However, Ten is clearly agitated and they all shut up when he slams his hands on the table. He too is surprised by his actions and laughs nervously. “We need to focus.”

“Huang Renjun, seventeen, is from District 3 and Park Jisung, fifteen, is from District 7,” Irene says. “That’s all we know about them for now. You can talk to them tonight before the Tribute Parade, but I suggest you not to. Tomorrow, you’ll have your first day at the training center. That’s the best place to make allies.”

They both nod nonchalantly, but everyone notices that they aren’t happy with Irene’s answers.

“So, what are you guys good at?” Yerim asks as she takes another piece of bread. “You know, anything that could help you survive in the Games?”

Neither Jeno or Jaemin dare to talk first. Yerim sighs exaggeratedly and throws her piece of bread at Jaemin who throws it back at her.

“Jeno hunts,” Jaemin declares while Jeno glares at him. Why is he talking for him? Jeno might not be as good as his best friend with his words, but he’s still capable of speaking for himself! “I’ve heard from friends that he is extremely precise with his knives, always aiming for the eyes of the prey. He’s been hunting since he was eleven.”

Neither of the mentors seems shocked by that revelation, but Ten, on the other hand, looks completely horrified. “I can’t imagine baby Jeno throwing knives around!” he gasps. His outfit is better than yesterday’s. Instead of opting for something colorful, Ten decides to wear a white suit with feathers.

“He’s also crazy good with plants,” Jaemin continues, giving Jeno a teasing small smile. “He brings me back all types of berries who aren’t poisonous. Once, he injured himself in the forest and managed to heal himself with plants!”

“Very impressive,” Irene states, nodding calmly. “Better than most tributes from twelve. We already know you’re stealthy. Anything else?”

“I know how to set snares and climb on trees,” Jeno mumbles, uncomfortable with all the attention on him. He feels like a special creature being analyzed by a bunch of scientists.

Yerim too is satisfied with Jeno. “Perfect!” she beams. “What about you, Jaemin?”

Jaemin, like most people from District 12, has no experience whatsoever with weapons. Plus, he’s from the merchant’s section; he’s considered wealthy compared to Jeno. He never had to worry about his survival; food was always there in front of him.

“He’s the Mayor’s son, I doubt he knows anything,” Irene says just as when Jaemin’s opening his mouth. “But I must say, there _is_ something interesting about him. I just can’t grasp it yet.”

Jeno feels like he should say something. He doesn’t want the mentors to think Jaemin’s useless and not pay any attention to him afterwards. “He’s smart,” he blurts out. This time, it’s Jaemin who’s surprised. “He’s the smartest kid in school. A teacher once said that if he wasn’t living in District 12, he’d be a good engineer at the Capitol.”

Yerim scratches her chin, thoughtful. “Hmm, an engineer you say? I was thinking more of a… politician.”

Jeno wishes he could ask her more about what she just meant, but the view outside makes him completely forget about Jaemin. It’s breathtaking and this could only mean one thing; they arrived at the Capitol.

On television, the capital looks beautiful. In real life, words can’t even describe how magnificent the city looks. The colors are so vibrant that they almost hurt Jeno’s eyes. There are cars everywhere, the buildings are made of glass, everything is so clean…

As soon as the train approaches the city, bystanders are starting to recognize them. They look funny with their spiky hair and colorful clothes. Ten notices Jeno’s uneasiness and says: “Make a good impression. Who knows, there might be a rich sponsor waiting for you.”

Ten says a lot of questionable things, but this time, he has a point. Nobody needs to tell Jaemin that though, he’s already being the charming Jaemin he usually is. He’s waving and smiling at every individual. Occasionally, he’ll throw a wink or blow a kiss at a lucky passerby, making everyone around them giggle uncontrollably.

“He’s good at this,” Ten remarks, raising an eyebrow. “If he wins, he’ll definitely have to stay at the Capitol.”

This sends shivers down Jeno’s spine. When a Victor is crowned, if he’s attractive enough, the Capitol will turn him into their pet. He remembers one year, a thirteen years old boy, who looked too old for his age, won. Yes, he was cute, but he still looked like a child. The Capitol loved him and ended up keeping him as their toy. At first, he refused, so the president had no choice but to kill all his loved ones.

Enough of this. Jeno doesn’t want to think more about underage Victors sleeping with grown adults.

 _Charming,_ Jeno thinks. _Jaemin is charming. But what am I?_

At school, everyone used to love his smile. _When you smile, your eyes look like moons,_ Jaemin once told him out of the blue. _My mom is like obsessed with them._

“Don’t be shy,” Ten’s lips curve into a smile as he pushes Jeno closer to the window.

Instinctively, Jeno forgets the fact that those people are probably betting on his death and instead, imagines his family’s faces. He shoots them his widest smile, and almost immediately, people start screaming. Just like Jaemin, he waves at everyone, earning himself more screams.

“Good, good, good!” Ten beams at the two tributes. Irene is chugging her eighth cup of coffee, looking uninterested. Meanwhile, Yerim is playing with the cuticles of her nails. “You’ll meet your stylists soon, boys! Make sure to do whatever they say!”

Jeno scrunches his nose at that thought. Every year, his district has the worst costumes for the Tribute Parade. It’s an unwritten rule that the tributes’ costumes must be related to the theme of their district. For example, in District 12, their main thing is coal and mining. This theme doesn’t leave much to one’s imagination, especially compared to District 1’s theme; luxury and jewelry. It isn’t surprising to see District 12’s tributes every year coming out with an ugly black outfit.

“They’re new though,” Irene speaks up, putting down her coffee cup. “So don’t expect much.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You are so hairy!” a lady with weirdly shaped eyebrows and purple eyelashes who are probably longer than her fingers whines. “But thankfully, we’re done!”

“Ow!”

Jeno has never waxed himself before and makes a mental note to never do it again. If he comes out of the arena alive. He wonders how Jaemin’s doing and if he can still smile after going through all that torture.

“You’re so handsome!” another lady with huge curly hair screeches. Hopefully, it’s a wig. “You’re going to love what Doyoung prepared for you!”

Soon, he’s left alone in the dimly lit room, naked. Uncomfortable with another stranger exanimating his naked body, he picks up his gown laying on the floor and puts it on before his stylist enters the room.

Minutes pass before the door opens and a young man walks into the room. Unlike everyone he has seen from the Capitol, this man keeps his style simple. The only “extravagant” thing he’s wearing is bright pink eyeliner. The man’s eyes light up when they land on Jeno.

“Hello Jeno,” he greets him with a comforting voice. “I’m Doyoung, your stylist.”

Usually, District 12 gets the worst stylists. That’s why Jeno can’t help but ask cautiously: “I’ve never seen you before. Are you new?”

Doyoung awkwardly laughs and nods. He doesn’t need to be embarrassed, Jeno understands. “So that’s why they assigned you to twelve.”

“I’m starting to be skeptical about your mentors’ concept for you,” Doyoung frowns, approaching the examination table Jeno is sitting on. “Your outfit is entirely based off of that.”

Not liking the look on his stylist’s face, Jeno questions him again: “What concept?”

Doyoung’s eyes widen in surprise. He looks a little… worried? “They haven’t told you yet?”

Jeno shakes his head.

“They’re going for the sweetheart concept,” Doyoung explains while eyeing up and down the younger boy. “Which by the way, is hard to see.”

Jeno furrows his brows, confused. Isn’t Doyoung supposed to be helping him instead of insulting him? “Excuse me?”

“But I must admit,” Doyoung continues, still analyzing every single inch of Jeno’s (clothed!) body. “Your Reaping really touched me.”

The Reaping seems so far away, yet it only happened yesterday. Every time someone mentions it, Jeno has this huge urge to cry; the images of Yukhei and his little sister will stay engraved in his mind forever.

“Anyways,” Doyoung breaks the silence, holding a hand up for Jeno to take. “Want to talk about this entire concept thing in the room next door? There’s a buffet waiting for you.”

Jeno nods and grabs his mentor’s hand. It mesmerizes him that Doyoung’s hands are so soft and gentle, in contrast to Jeno’s who are rough and filled with small cuts.

If Jeno thought the train had a lot of food, well damn he was wrong. The table, filled with plates with all types of meat you can imagine, is the length of the room. Doyoung watches in amusement his tribute, Jeno, serving himself like he’ll never see food again.

“Easy there,” he chuckles, sitting down. “We don’t want you to throw up during the ceremony.”

Jeno drops his fork and tries his best to intimidate him by glaring at him, but it’s a lost cause since Doyoung’s now cooing at him. “I get your mentors now. You look like an angry cat.”

“I don’t want to look like an angry cat,” Jeno frowns, his eyes glued on his plate. “I want to look tough.”

“Sometimes, looking tough isn’t the best strategy,” Doyoung pats him affectionately on the back. “The Careers already beat you to it.”

The Careers. Ugh, Jeno hates them. The Careers are the vain tributes from District 1, 2 and usually 4, who have lived their entire life in wealth and have been training for the Games since they knew how to walk. Every year, there’s a vote in those districts to see who can volunteer. For them, the Hunger Games are just a game they’re ready to win.

“The outfit I have reserved for you is,” Doyoung hesitates. “Different.”

“Different?”

“Jungwoo and I hate every year’s outfits. They might not be boring, but they’re sure as hell ugly,” Doyoung says. “We want to try something different.”

Looking boring is the last thing Jeno wants. Even if your outfit is hideous, at least you’ll be remembered. If it’s just plain boring, no one will even know your name.

“It’s not boring,” Doyoung quickly adds when he senses Jeno tensing up. “In fact, it’s quite out of the ordinary. Tell me, Jeno. Have you ever seen a boy wear a dress before?”

 _Oh no._ Jeno’s entire body freezes. Is he out of his mind? A dress? With his body type, he would just look ridiculous in a dress. His mind flashes to Jaemin for a second, and he wonders if he’d look good in a dress.

“Here it is,” Doyoung grins widely, pressing a blue button under the table. Suddenly, a section of the floor spreads open, and a beautiful dress is slowly pulled up. “My best work.”

The dress is absolutely beautiful. It’s charcoal black and the fabric seems to be silk. It’s very flowy and Jeno doesn’t see any sleeves on it. There are also red flames at the bottom of the dress.

“It’s an off the shoulder look,” Doyoung winks. “So, you can show off your collarbones.”

“I-It’s pretty but,” Jeno stutters, scared to offend his stylist. The dress _is_ pretty, but he doesn’t think it’ll look pretty on him. “I don’t think it suits me?”

Doyoung doesn’t seem affected by Jeno’s comment. “Nonsense! Leave your fragile masculinity behind, Jeno! Besides, it’s not actually a dress. It’s a one-piece, but at the bottom, they’re pants. It just looks like a dress. Kind of like a romper, you get me?”

No, Jeno doesn’t “get him”, but he still nods dumbly.

After eating, Doyoung drags Jeno to another room, where he finds the same ladies who cleaned him and waxed his body from head to toe earlier.

They look excited to see him. “Time to do your hair and makeup!” that lady with green hair claps her hands enthusiastically.

His hair is simply slicked back, showing his forehead to the world. Since styling his hair is the least of his worries back in District 12, he has never done anything to it. He looks different but handsome. The makeup isn’t as absurd as the Capitol’s and Jeno is eternally grateful for that. His eye makeup is dark, matching with his outfit. In the end, Doyoung added an additional touch to it by drawing flames on the outer corner of his eyes.

Jeno only meets Jaemin when they arrive at the Training Center, where they’ll be staying for the rest of their days in the Capitol. The Tribute Parade will be hosted outside of it, near the building.

As soon as Jeno sees Jaemin, he understands what concept the mentors are trying to make him follow; the heartthrob.

To say he looks good is an understatement; Jaemin looks _breathtaking._ Almost just as breathtaking as the Capitol’s scenery. Jeno notices they have the same makeup look, but the resemblance stops there.

Jaemin’s wearing a black mesh cropped tee, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Down the waist, he’s wearing black combat pants with a matching black buckle belt. And, also, just like Jeno, he’s wearing black combat boots.

“My eyes are up here,” Jaemin snaps him out of his thoughts with his playful tone.

Jeno feels his cheeks heat up instantly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

Jaemin just laughs. “I’m kidding,” he takes a pause to admire Jeno. “You look good in that dress too.”

“It’s not a dress,” Jeno splits his legs open for his friend to see the fabric in between. “It’s like a romper.”

“I have no idea what that is,” Jaemin continues staring at him. “But I like it.”

Jeno’s face reddens even more. “Stop it!”

Behind them, their mentors are whispering things among themselves. When Jeno quickly glimpses at them, he sees Yerim giving him a thumbs up and he looks away.

“What, I can’t compliment my best friend?” Jaemin gives him a wry smile as he gets up on the chariot. “Come on, they’re starting soon.”

The music is already blasting as District 1’s carriage is moving. They look beautiful, Jeno realizes, as the crowd is loudly cheering for them.

“Jaemin, be yourself!” Ten runs over to them in a hurry as District 7’s carriage is leaving. “Jeno, just smile and wave. People will love it.”

District 8’s turn now.

Jeno suddenly can’t breathe and feels his throat closing on itself. The lights, the crowd, the outfits; it hits him. He’s in the Hunger Games. It’s all happening. To try to calm himself, he grabs Jaemin’s hand and nervously squeezes it.

“Nervous?” Irene notices the hand. “I know how nerve-wracking that could be.”

“Well you didn’t have to worry about anything, Ms. Beauty Queen,” Yerim snorts as she watches District 9’s tributes leave. “You could literally stand there and just breathe, and people would be head over heels for you.”

Jeno’s heart starts beating faster and faster. He holds Jaemin’s hand so tightly that his friend might lose his blood circulation at the end of tonight. But thankfully, he doesn’t mind.

“Well a lot of people in Capitol already love Jeno,” Irene retorts. “From what they’ve seen at the Reaping, he’s a kind-hearted soul who’s easy to sympathize with.”

District 11’s leaving as well. This year, their stylists really did them dirty by dressing them up as farmers. Both tributes look pretty irritated about it.

“You’re up next!” Ten giggles as their carriage starts moving. Jeno feels like he’s going to faint.

Despite probably having no blood in his hand anymore, Jaemin softly rubs Jeno’s hand with his thumb. “I’m nervous too,” he whispers in his ear. “But I don’t want us to fuck it up. We look great, way better than all of them. You don’t need to worry.”

Right after Jaemin’s words, Jeno hears the cheering of the crowd. When he sees his face on the giant screen, he freezes for a second. Then, he watches Jaemin who’s next to him, still holding his hand, laughing and blowing kisses with his free hand to the audience.

“Jeno! Jaemin!”

A rose falls right on top of his head. He takes it and tucks it behind his ear, causing the whole stadium to go crazy. Intrigued, Jaemin turns around to face Jeno and smiles at him. “You look cute! Smile!”

So, Jeno smiles. He grins until he can’t feel his mouth muscles anymore, but it’s okay since the Capitol enjoys it. His name is being chanted; he feels appreciated. No way he can’t find a sponsor after tonight. It gives him a little bit of hope that after all, his mother maybe wasn’t wrong. Maybe he does have a chance of winning.

The twelve chariots move around the stadium in a single line until they arrive in front of the president. The music stops and the entire stadium goes quiet. The president says a few words about being honored to welcome the tributes. Jeno forces himself to keep smiling, trying to look as grateful as possible. Even if they’re sending him to die, the Capitol still loves the tributes, and he wouldn’t want them to hate him.

After the speech ends, the twelve carriages do one last turn, a goodbye to the crowd, and then goes back into the Training Center.

Jeno hops off the carriage as fast as possible, still not letting go of Jaemin’s hand. His legs are still wobbly from the stress and if it wasn’t for Jaemin holding him, he probably would’ve embarrassingly fell in front of all the tributes.

The Training Center is where everything from now on will be taking place. Each district has a floor assigned to them with their bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and so on. Here, they also have training stations, which are located in the underground of the building.

There are already some people in the elevator when they enter it. Jeno recognizes them instantly, it’d be hard not to. They’re the Careers from District 2.

“Nice dress you’re wearing,” the shorter one of the tributes snorts. Great, Jeno already feels uncomfortable by this guy who’ll certainly kill him in the next weeks that follow.

“It’s not a dress,” Jungwoo, Jaemin’s stylist, immediately comes to Jeno’s defense. “The bottoms are shorts, just like a romper.”

_When will they stop comparing things to a romper when clearly none of us knows what that is?_

The tan short boy waves his hands around and laughs. His voice is high pitched, almost like a child’s, and Jeno almost forgets that he’s a ruthless Career. “I wasn’t sarcastic. I love it.”

“Oh,” is the only intelligent thing Jeno manages to mumble out. He looks down at his feet, a bit intimidated by the Careers.

On the other hand, Jaemin is confidently keeping eye contact with them. He gives them a coy smile and reaches out his hand for them to shake. “You guys look fantastic as well. Your stylists have outdone themselves,” he says. This seems to please them, especially the stylists. They do look good, but Jeno thinks the word ‘fantastic’ is a little much. “I’m Jaemin, by the way, and this is Jeno, my district partner.”

Jaemin’s smart for not using the word ‘friend’, let alone _best friend._ The short tan one shakes Jaemin’s hand and smirks back. “I’m Donghyuck and he’s Mark.”

Then, the elevator rings to remind them they’ve arrived at the second floor, where District 2 resides. Half of the elevator walk out and they all wave goodbye at District 12’s team.

“Not too bad,” Jeno comments, filling up the silence in the elevator. “They don’t look too terrifying.”

“Because that’s the reality of the Games,” Jaemin responds, his smile vanishing. “At the end of the day, we’re just kids killing each other. We’re not the real monsters here.”

No one knows what to say to his words. Ten seems awfully distressed by Jaemin’s words and is frantically looking around for cameras. There are probably cameras everywhere, but they’re all well hidden. However, the rest of the adults just smile.

It doesn’t take too long before they arrive at their floor. There are tons of food waiting for them in the dining room, but neither Jeno nor Jaemin are hungry. After all, they did eat before the ceremony. Yerim advises them that it’d be better for them to gain a few pounds for the Games and she isn’t wrong.

It’s getting late, and they must wake up early tomorrow morning to go to the training stations. Sure, being fashionably late would’ve looked good if they were from the Capitol, but this is the Hunger Games where you can’t afford to waste any second of your precious remaining time.

Jeno goes back to his room to take a shower. As he’s rubbing his makeup away, he can’t help but think about Jaemin’s words on the elevator. _We’re just kids killing each other._ Tomorrow, he’ll see that for real. He shivers.

When he comes out of the bathroom, he’s surprised to see Jaemin sitting on his bed. “Hi?”

“Hi,” Jaemin blinks a couple of times. “Can we sleep together for the rest of the week?”

He’s already dressed like he’s ready to go to bed. Without makeup, Jaemin looks much younger and Jeno’s heart clenches at the thought of his best friend dying.

“Sure!” he replies, not hiding the excitement in his voice, making Jaemin grin.

“Cool! I was scared you’d say no because of like,” Jaemin pauses. “The Games. You make my nightmares go away.”

Jeno lays on the bed next to Jaemin. There he goes again. Jaemin has a special way with words; he knows exactly what to say to make Jeno blush.

“Why would I say no because of the Games?” Jeno makes this adorable noise he only makes when he’s surprised or confused.

Jaemin pinches his cheek and lays down next to him. “Maybe you’d want to distance yourself so it would hurt less when we’d fight each other.”

As he’s rolling his eyes, Jeno jokingly punches Jaemin on the arm. “You’re dumb! We talked about this last night, and I don’t ever want to stop being friends. I was the one who was scared you’d leave me!”

“I know, but everything feels so much more real now,” Jaemin says in a tiny voice. He sounds so unsure of himself; so unlike himself.

Just like last night, they fall asleep next to each other. Tonight, Jeno also doesn’t forget to look at the moon, wondering if his little brother is looking at it too.

“Rise and shine motherfuckers!” Yerim shouts as she slams the door open. “We all knew you guys would sleep together again.”

Jeno yawns as he rubs his eyes. He had a good night of sleep in his soft bed, warm sheets and Jaemin next to him. The sun has barely risen yet, and this is giving Jeno horrible flashbacks to the morning of the Reaping when he threw the strawberries at Jaemin.

They get dressed in silence, none of them are really morning people, and they head together to the dining room. As usual, there is a feast waiting for them to devour and Jeno isn’t shy to do so.

“Hope you guys slept well,” Irene says. “Because today, don’t expect to take it easy. You’re starting your training.”

“But don’t do anything you’re good at,” Yerim adds. “We don’t want the other trainees to know your strengths because they could target you for that. Instead, you should build up skills you don’t have or want to improve.”

Jeno is listening attentively and nods.

“I’m sure you guys are allies and want to train together but don’t stick to each other. Pretend not to be too close,” Irene emphasizes. Jeno and Jaemin exchange a confused look. “Spread yourselves out, meet new people. Try to make allies.”

“But not too many allies. That could also be dangerous.”

Jaemin speaks up at that. “So, each of us gets one ally?”

Irene nods. “Something like that, yes. Yerim’s right, too many allies means there are more people who can betray you and kill you in your sleep. But, at the same time, not all of them might survive the Bloodbath. And don’t even think about befriending the Careers; as soon as they don’t need you, they’ll kill you. Actually, just get as many allies as you want.”

This sends shivers down Jeno’s spine and Jaemin looks uneasy as well. After breakfast, their individual stylist takes them away to get dressed again. Doyoung makes Jeno wear a tight navy t-shirt with a pair of tight black pants. Surprisingly, it’s not uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, Jeno has never felt more ready to train.

Jeno and Jaemin ride the elevator separately so that their mentors’ plan could work out. On their way to the training gym, Doyoung pins a sticker with the number ‘12’ written on it to Jeno’s shirt.

“Stressed?” Doyoung asks him as they walk into the elevator. They’re alone.

“When am I not stressed,” Jeno tries to joke, but Doyoung doesn’t seem to understand him. He gives him a worried look and pats him on the shoulder.

“Last night, I was looking at the articles,” Doyoung smiles at Jeno. “And a lot of them were about you! People love your smile. They think you’re an unlucky kind-hearted person who ended up being picked to go to the Hunger Games. They love you already.”

This doesn’t comfort Jeno at all. He shoots a fake smile at him and is relieved when the elevator doors open. Despite leaving an hour early (Jeno and Jaemin whined they could’ve slept more), some tributes were already there. Doyoung hugs him goodbye, and Jeno already hears the snickers in the room. Most of the people who arrived are the Careers.

Jeno recognizes Mark and Donghyuck from last night and is tempted to go talk to them. But then, he remembers his mentors’ advice and decides to stay where he is. Plus, they’re not paying any attention to him.

He also sees the boy from District 4, the one who doesn’t look like a Career. Indeed, he isn’t one, since he’s standing all by himself, his eyes wandering around the room. He looks absolutely terrified.

Jaemin’s already there, talking to a tall boy in a corner. It takes a moment for Jeno to remember his name; Park Jisung from District 7. Jaemin’s currently cooing at the boy he probably just met, and even if Jisung is pushing him away, Jeno notices his lips curve just a little.

He desperately looks around, trying to find Renjun, the boy from District 3 he wants to be allied with, but he is nowhere to be seen. Jeno evaluates his options once again and decides to introduce himself to the kid from District 4.

“Hey,” he smiles, trying to sound as a casual as possible. He definitely didn’t rehearse that one word over and over in his head for a solid minute.

The boy jumps out of surprise, not expecting someone else standing in front of him. When he sees Jeno smiling, he immediately loosens up and smiles back at him. “Hi! I’m Chenle.”

“I’m Jeno,” he responds, trying not to look surprised by Chenle’s friendliness. “I’m from District 12.”

“Oh, I know who you are,” Chenle exclaims. He’s a little too loud for Jeno’s liking, but he doesn’t seem to mind the glares the Careers are sending them. “Your sister and friend volunteering for you was very sweet. They must love you a lot.”

Here we go again. If Jeno could, he’d record himself saying: “Yes, I’m grateful for them, but I wasn’t going to let them die for me” since every time he met someone new, they just have bring up the Reaping.

“I know,” is all he says. Thankfully, as soon as all the trainees arrived, a woman walks into the room and presents herself as the head trainer.

All the tributes assemble around her and listen attentively, even the Careers who can’t keep their eyes off the weapons.

“Welcome everyone,” she starts talking, her face showing no emotions. “Over the next days, you’ll be training here.”

She briefly explains all the stations set up around and tells them there will be an instructor at each station, in case anyone needs it. Besides the basic rules of no fighting, no injuring yourself or the people around, she also emphasizes on the survival skills stations, stating that “dehydration, starvation, and infections could kill as easily as a knife”. Terrifying.

As soon as she gives them the signal to start, as expected, the Careers run over to the weapons. From afar, Jeno spots Jaemin and Jisung going towards the station about edible plants.

“So, where do you want to start?” Chenle suddenly asks Jeno. “I was thinking maybe the throwing knives?”

 _Don’t do anything you’re good at,_ Jeno remembers Yerim telling them this a few hours ago. Besides, he’s sure Chenle’s a good person, but just like Jisung, he’s a just a _kid._ He doesn’t really want to become allies with him. “Actually, I want to start with the fishing hooks,” Jeno awkwardly smiles, feeling bad for Chenle.

Chenle’s eyes light up; normal, he’s from District 4, the district of the fishers. “Oh, good choice!” he grins. “But I already know how to do that. So, see you around I guess?”

Jeno wishes him good luck as he waves him goodbye. Maybe in a parallel universe, he could’ve become good friends with Chenle. Just not in that one though.

He didn’t tell Chenle he wanted to learn how to make fishing hooks just to get rid of him. In fact, Jeno has no idea how to make them and is worried that the only food in the arena is going to be in the water.

The instructor seems pleased to see his first student of the day. He enthusiastically explains everything to Jeno, and the boy tries his best to mimic his teacher’s movements. He cuts a piece of wood, shaves it and sharpens it with a knife. After four or five tries, he’s practically perfect at it.

“You’re good with knives,” the instructor compliments him and Jeno’s face reddens. Luckily, there are no trainees near him who could’ve heard his comment.

Next, Jeno heads over to the edible plants station, where Jaemin and Jisung just were. They’re still attached to the hip, walking towards the weapons this time.

Even though Jeno has a pretty wide knowledge of plants, he still wants to make sure he knows everything. It doesn’t take long for the instructor to teach him everything, and Jeno completes the test like a piece of cake. Impressed, the trainer tells him: “Oh my, District 12’s tributes are all good at this!”

His comment amazes Jeno. Does he mean that Jaemin passed the test with flying colors as well? Since when did Jaemin know anything about plants? Jeno will have to question him later.

He looks at the huge clock placed near the platform where the Gamemakers are seated. He has time to go to one more station before lunchtime. Indeed, since the moment they stepped inside of the gymnasium, a dozen of Gamemakers were already sitting on a platform, unreachable to the tributes. They spend most of their time chatting and drinking wine, and sometimes, glance at the tributes.

Back in District 12, Jeno mainly hunted with knives. Even though he’s 99% sure there will be knives in the arena, he can never be too sure. The Gamemakers always have something up their sleeves, and Jeno doesn’t want to risk it.

At the ax station, Jeno notices Renjun struggling to swing an ax that’s almost as big as him. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to talk to him, Jeno approaches the station. It’s not too crowded, Renjun’s the only one there with his district partner. The instructor is the first to notice Jeno’s interest in the axes. Unlike the guy with the fishing hooks, this man doesn’t show any sympathy and gets straight to the point.

Jeno manages to handle a few moves. Meanwhile, the two tributes from District 3 are still barely able to hold their ax properly. Satisfied with Jeno’s abilities, the trainer suggests him to try throwing the ax at a target.

Of course, throwing knives and throwing axes aren’t the same thing. Jeno quickly realizes that when he throws his weapon at a dummy and the ax lands at its feet. Thankfully, none of the Careers saw all of this. However, the loud noise the ax made when it fell seems to be attracting Renjun.

 _This is my chance to impress him,_ Jeno thinks to himself, glancing over at Renjun who is putting down the weapon and staring at him. _If I mess up, he’ll think I’m weak and he won’t want to become allies._

Jeno walks to dummy and picks the ax up. He still feels Renjun’s heavy eyes on him, just like at the Reaping. He’s a little unconfident, but he doesn’t let it show as he throws the ax as hard as he can. Maybe it’s because of all the stress, but Jeno forgets to aim. Yet, fortunately for him, the ax hits the dummy right in the head, making Jeno look much better than he is. In the corner of his eyes, he notices Renjun smirking and walking towards him. He mentally applauds himself for it.

“You’re good at this, Jeno,” Renjun casually says as if they are childhood best friends.

Jeno can’t decipher the look on his face. Maybe Jaemin was right after all; Renjun seems quite cunning. “U-Uh, I-I,” Jeno stutters out. How did Renjun even know his name?”

“I’m Renjun,” he continues as if everything is perfectly normal while Jeno has never been more confused. “But you probably already knew that, am I wrong?”

_How does he know?!_

Renjun looks amused at Jeno’s stupefied face. He finally drops his attitude and smiles at Jeno. “First, I know your name because I couldn’t get your Reaping out of my head. Second, I know you know my name because you want us to be allies.”

“W-What I-I,” Jeno can’t think of anything intelligent to say. Usually, Jeno’s always with Jaemin, and Jaemin’s the one who’s good at not being dumb in a conversation.

“You’ve been staring at me all night during the Tribute Parade,” Renjun crosses his arms with a cocky expression on his face. “At first, I thought it was because you found me cute. But then, I remembered that we’re in the Hunger Games and finding someone cute should be at the bottom of your priority list.”

Well, he isn’t wrong. To be fair, Jeno hasn’t really been paying attention to how the other tributes looked individually. Okay, he might’ve thought Jaemin looked especially good during the Tribute Parade, but that was just once. And he really did look good.

“So, I’ve come to the conclusion that somehow, you want me as your ally,” Renjun finishes, uncrossing his arms, smiling. “And I’m completely fine with that as well since I want you as an ally too.”

Is this really happening? Did Jeno really make an ally by not saying anything besides stuttering? Renjun pulls his hand out and Jeno immediately shakes it. 

“Honestly,” Renjun wonders out loud. Jeno’s eyes follow his and they land on Jaemin and Jisung. “I’m surprised why you two aren’t training together. Is this a strategy?

Jeno freezes on the spot. Renjun is seeing right through them. He doesn’t know what to do and curses himself for not listening to Jaemin earlier. He was right; Renjun’s dangerously smart. Obviously, Renjun notices Jeno tensing up and laughs.

“Don’t worry, I won’t use that against you,” he gives him a toothy grin. Renjun has a little gap between his teeth which makes him look younger than he actually is. _A cunning boy on the inside, a childlike boy on the outside. Scary._ “I genuinely think I can trust you.”

“Trust me and then kill me in my sleep?” Jeno scoffs. Wow, he’s proud at himself for being able to say a full sentence in front of Renjun. “No thank you, I’ll pass.”

“No, I trust you because you’re the only one who knows I’m smart,” Renjun lowers down his voice as he’s leaning closer to Jeno’s ear. “Besides my partner, of course. You might not be the brightest, but I’m sure you’re smart enough not to tell anyone about this, right?”

“R-Right,” _Goddamnit, you were doing great Jeno._ “But Jaemin?”

“Jaemin already knows.”

A bell rings not too loud after their conversation, implying that it’s lunchtime. The food is located in a room next to the gymnasium. Just like in everywhere else in the Capitol, there is endless delicious food waiting for them to eat.

The Careers sit at one table and talk loudly, Donghyuck being one of the loudest. Most tributes eat alone, not even with their district partner. Jeno spots Chenle chatting happily with another tribute he probably just met. That kid has mad social skills. On the other side of the room, Jaemin’s eating with Jisung. They’re talking, although Jaemin looks like he’s the one who’s keeping the conversation alive.

Naturally, since they’re “allies”, Jeno and Renjun sit together. Jeno kind of doesn’t know if he can trust Renjun, but he knows he’d be a good ally. He’ll have to talk about it with Jaemin. With both of their plates full, they sit down at the last empty table.

“So, what are you good at?” Renjun asks as he takes a bite of his chicken.

“Nothing in particular, just basic survival stuff,” Jeno casually shrugs, poking the beef with his fork. “And I guess I’m not too bad with axes either. You?”

Renjun raises an eyebrow, a bit skeptical. His eyes don’t leave Jeno’s, and Jeno feels like he’s analyzing him, trying to dig the truth out of him. “Nothing much,” he says. “I just manage to keep my family alive all those years, despite my parents being ill and my little brother being too young to do anything. Take it as you want.”

Jeno doesn’t know why, but he immediately lets his guard down in front of Renjun. He might be cunning, but just like Jeno, he’s the one who’s keeping his family alive. Jeno respects that.

“I get it,” he nods and Renjun gives him a small smile. “It’s not easy.”

“You tell me, huh?”

They spend the rest of the day together, perfecting their technique with the axes. It doesn’t take Renjun too long to figure out a way to use them to his advantage, even if he’s too weak to properly hold them. An hour before the gymnasium closes, Jeno suggests Renjun to try a less heavy weapon as he heads over to the swords station. After a few combats with the instructor, he realizes that swords aren’t for him. From the corner of his eyes, he watches Renjun manipulating the knives. He definitely isn’t as good as Jeno, but he’s not bad for a beginner.

Lunch is served at the gymnasium, but breakfast and dinner are served on their floors. Obviously, Jeno and Jaemin leave separately. As soon as they’re both in the living room, Ten attacks them with questions. Irene calms him down while Yerim signals them to sit at the dining table.

“Where are Jungwoo and Doyoung?” Jaemin asks, sitting down next to Jeno. As usual, the food looks absolutely delicious.

“Finalizing their outfits for you for the interview,” Yerim replies as she glances over at Ten screaming “ _but the Head Gamemaker's new hair is so ugly Irene! Why can’t you understand?”_. “How was your day? Any allies?”

“Nope,” Jaemin sighs, trying to decide what he should eat first. He ends up choosing the fish. “I thought I was cool with Jisung at first, but at lunch, he told me he didn’t want any allies. Weird.”

Now that Jeno thinks about it, he saw Jaemin trying out archery by himself earlier in the afternoon…

“Not weird at all,” Irene speaks out of nowhere. Jeno turns around and sees her and Ten walking towards the table. Ten seems less irritated than before. “Most tributes have trust issues. Jisung’s smart for not allying with you Jaemin, especially if you jumped on him for absolutely no reason.”

Jaemin mutters something his breath while Jeno’s having a dance party inside of his head. _Yay! No kids in the alliance!_ Plus, he was able to get Renjun on his side today which is a win for him.

“Well, Renjun’s our ally now,” Jeno announces. Jaemin sighs even louder.

“No, he’s not,” Jaemin scoffs. “I told you, we need to stay away from him. He’s manipulative and dangerous.”

“He saved his family from dying of hunger, just like me!” Jeno says, his voice raising up a little. He’s starting to get irritated. Why does Jaemin always think he’s right? He hasn’t even spoken a word to Renjun, how does he know that he’s manipulative?”

“Because that’s what he wants you to hear,” Jaemin puts down his glass of juice a little loudly, causing Ten to jump. Around them, the three adults haven’t said a word yet, staring at the two teenagers bickering.

Finally, Irene says something. “Calm down, everyone.” Jaemin lets go of his glass.

“Jaemin’s right, Renjun is probably much smarter than we think,” she continues, looking at Jeno who’s keeping his head down. “Manipulative? Probably.”

“But none of you have even talked to him,” Jeno mumbles. “Sure, he was a little scary at first, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy.”

“The reason why Jaemin knows it even if he didn’t meet him is because he’s just like him,” Yerim adds nonchalantly, contributing to the conversation. All eyes are on her. “One of my friends has always had a huge crush on him, so she tells me everything about Jaemin.”

Jeno is in awe. During all these years, he has never thought of Jaemin as a manipulator. Yeah, he might’ve charmed his way into getting a perfect score once, and yeah, he might’ve looked at a girl a little longer once so she could give him her strawberry ice cream… _Oh God, he is a manipulative little bitch._

That infamous smile of his is always used when he’s trying to get what he wants.

Meanwhile, Jaemin stays silent. He’s stopped eating as well.

“Manipulative is probably not the right word. I think he’s more of a charmer than a manipulator.” Yerim quickly corrects herself. “Anyways, Jaemin, you’re not wrong on that one, but you still need to cool down. I’ve talked to his mentors, and apparently, he has no intentions of getting to know anyone besides you, Jeno.”

“W-What?” Jeno lets out the adorable confused noise he always makes.

“Probably because of the Reaping,” Jaemin suddenly blurts out. “Out of everyone here, he trusts Jeno the most because he didn’t let Yukhei volunteer for him. That’s why.”

Yerim grins and pushes Jaemin playfully. “Bingo!”

✦

The next two days go by too quickly. On the second day of training, Irene and Yerim actually told Jeno and Jaemin to practice alone and try to find new allies. Jeno tried to talk to a boy from District 11, but the tribute completely ignored him. Despite their small quarrel at dinner on the first day, Jeno and Jaemin always slept with each other. One night, Jeno questioned him about the edible plants station, and Jaemin simply responded with: “I’m not as incompetent as you think, Jen.”

On the third day, Jeno was back to training with Renjun. To his surprise, Renjun isn’t arrogant at all, although he seemed like it on the first morning. He’s respectful to the instructors and even bows after they’re done. A tiny voice in the back of Jeno’s head keeps yelling: _He’s just being manipulative like Jaemin!,_ but Jeno brushes this thought off. Renjun’s presence is nice.

Overall, the training expends on four days. On the last day, in the afternoon, every tribute needs to do a private performance in front of the Gamemakers, the Judges. Then, they’ll give the tributes a grade from 1 to 12 (1 being the worst and 12 being the best). It’s almost impossible for anyone to get to these extremes, and Jeno’s confident he can at least get a 7. He’s more worried for Jaemin.

“Jeno, show them the knives,” Irene tells him during the dinner of the third day. “Show them your snares too, Renjun’s mentor told me he told him you were pretty good. If you have time, you can throw some axes too.”

Oh yes, time. Usually, each tribute has fifteen minutes to showcase their best talents to the Judges. Sometimes, when they think they’ve seen enough, they dismiss the tribute early, which is never a good sign.

“Jaemin, you can impress them with your blowgun,” Yerim advises Jaemin. Blowgun? Since when does Jaemin know how to use a blowgun? Did he and Yerim talk about it privately? Jeno feels a little betrayed. “Or anything new you’ve learned.”

“Good luck guys. I’m sure you’ll do wonderful,” Ten smiles at them. Even though his words are the least useful, Jeno is happy he said that.

District 1’s first tribute goes into the gymnasium first. The Gamemakers call every tribute’s name one by one with the number of their district while the rest wait in the cafeteria. Since there are twenty-two people going in before Jeno and Jaemin, they’ll have to wait for a couple of hours.

Following their mentors’ previous advice, they try to make small talk and not look too close. It’s a tradition for the tributes of the same district to sit next to each other while waiting. When Renjun leaves for his private session, Jeno notices a smug smile on his face.

“He must be confident,” Jeno whispers to Jaemin.

The more time passes by, the more Jeno gets anxious. Not talking to anyone for hours gives him time to _overthink_ everything. Jaemin notices Jeno’s uneasiness at the very beginning and keeps softly squeezing Jeno’s hand under the table, where no one can see it. Soon, the last tribute of District 11 stands up.

“You’re going to do great,” Jaemin can, at last, speak louder than just whispering. “You’ve spent years hunting. You can do this.”

About fifteen minutes pass and Jaemin’s name is called. He stands up, gives Jeno’s hand one last squeeze and leaves the room. Now, Jeno’s left by himself with his thoughts. He wonders what Jaemin will show the Judges. He also thinks about earlier, when Yerim told Jaemin to use the blowgun. At breakfast or dinner, Jeno has never heard Jaemin bring it up. Whenever the mentors ask them about how their day went, Jaemin has always kept it vague.

In short, Jaemin has definitely talked to Yerim in private. _Is he hiding anything from me?_ Jeno doesn’t want to think too much of it. Jaemin could never betray him, right? Not after all those deep conversations in bed, not after all the cuddling.

“Lee Jeno, District 12,” a monotone female calls him on the intercom. Jaemin is probably done.

Surprisingly, when he enters the gymnasium, all of the Gamemakers don’t seem tired at all. Knowing that they’ve spent almost six hours watching and evaluating tributes, they should be tired by now. However, they look as awake as ever. _That’s strange._

Jeno immediately runs towards the knives. Finally, he’s able to touch his precious knives! He quickly grabs a few ones in his hands and runs over to the row of dummies in the middle of the room. He distances himself a good five meters from the targets and starts running again. There are five targets and he has five knives. As he’s running, he throws the knives at the dummies, aiming for their hearts.

He doesn’t miss once, and when he’s done, he looks up at the Gamemakers. Some of them are carelessly drinking their wine, probably thinking about getting out of here as fast as possible, but most of them nod at him. There are thirteen minutes left. _Snares._

Jeno quickly heads over to the snares station. Rapidly, he takes a rope on the table and starts making the knots. It takes him a few tries to successfully make a noose, curse his big fingers. He holds up the rope in the air for the Judges to look at it, but they don’t look impressed.

He desperately looks around him, trying to find something else to do to impress the Judges. Suddenly, he spots the ropes course on the other side of the gym. An idea pops up in his head and he quickly runs over there. On his way, he grabs a dummy he threw a knife at and carries it over there. This seems to pique the interest of the Gamemakers who all put down their alcohol to attentively analyze Jeno’s movements.

Jeno ties the noose around the dummy’s neck. With one hand holding the dummy, he climbs the ropes with no difficulty. The dummy isn’t heavy at all, Jeno has brought back much bigger animals before from the woods, and climbing isn’t a challenge for him either since he’s used to climbing trees. When he arrives at the top, he carefully ties up the end of the snare to a rope from the course. He pulls out the knife from the dummy’s heart.

_Three minutes left._

Then, Jeno rushes down the course and runs to the very extremity of the gym and under everyone’s eyes, throws the knife. At first, the Gamemakers all scoffed, making fun of him for even _thinking_ that it could work. But when the knife landed exactly at the same spot it landed before, on the dummy's heart, everyone’s eyes widens.

_2 seconds left._

“This will be all for today,” the Head Gamemaker nods. “You are dismissed.”

Jeno feels pretty confident about his performance. When he arrives on the twelfth floor, he realizes that dinner is already ready and everyone’s waiting for him at the table.

“So, how was it!” Ten beams, clapping his hands enthusiastically. “Tell us everything!”

Doyoung and Jungwoo, the stylists, are here too. There’s an empty spot next to Doyoung, so Jeno sits there. The man pulls him into a hug and Jeno feels weirdly comforted.

“Pretty well, I think,” Jeno smiles proudly. Jaemin’s smiling too. “Threw around some knives and made a hanging snare. I think I did my best.”

Everyone is happy for him, especially Jaemin. He picks up a piece of fried chicken and places it in Jeno’s plate.

“What about you, Jaemin?” asks Ten curiously. To be honest, Jeno’s intrigued as well. His best friend doesn’t look sad at all, meaning he had everything under control.

“I did some stuff Yeri suggested,” he shrugs. “And I got a little creative in the process as well. I’ll either get a horrible grade or an amazing one. No in-betweens.”

Jeno realizes he’s starving; he devours his food in less than five minutes. After dinner, everyone heads over to the living room to see the scores they received on the television. On the screen, they show the name of the tribute, his district, and his score. Everything is broadcasted all over the country, of course. Jeno thinks about his family again. Hopefully, he can get a good score to make them proud of him, to give them a bit of hope he can still win this.

The Careers all get scores from 8 to 11. Mark got a 10 and Donghyuck, an 11. Irene, who usually is calm and composed, gasps with everyone else at that score. An 11 is usually very rare for any tribute to get.

“Donghyuck isn’t as soft as he looks,” Jeno sighs on the couch. Appearances are deceptive.

Next, for District 3, to Jeno’s surprise, Renjun only gets a 4. Sitting beside him, Jeno can feel Jaemin rolling his eyes, but none of them say anything.

“It could be a strategy,” Irene says, shrugging. “He seems smarter than a 4 to me, definitely.”

Most tributes get something around 5. Astonishingly, Chenle scores himself a 7. When it gets to District 7’s turn, Jaemin is absolutely devastated when he sees the number next to Jisung’s photo; a 2. Just like an 11, it’s very rare that someone earns himself a 2. Jisung must’ve royally fucked up big time.

This time, it’s Jeno who exaggeratedly rolls his eyes at Jaemin. “You were saying?”

“But I’ve seen him with knives! He’s not bad to the point to get a 2!”

District 12 always passes last. Jeno nervously bites his lip and sinks his nails into the couch. His face appears first and… a 10! The Judges gave Jeno a 10!

Jaemin’s the first one to congratulate Jeno, pulling him into a tight hug. Everyone else is clapping and cheering his name. _A 10._ This practically guarantees Jeno a spot into the top eight, if he’s not too unlucky. That’ll certainly draw in sponsors for him. He imagines the expressions on his family’s faces. Would they be proud? Relieved? Horrified by what their son can do? He thinks about Yukhei too. Knowing him he’d probably say something along the lines of: “That’s because you bought your knives from me. My knives are top quality, that’s why you practiced well in the forest!”

Then, Jaemin’s face pops up on the screen. With the number 12 next to it. Jeno has to blink a couple of times to make sure his vision isn’t playing games with him. A 12. Jaemin has a 12. Jaemin did the impossible.

“H-How,” Ten stutters. Everyone looks at him in awe.

Jaemin releases the breath he’s been holding in for so long and grins. “Guess my plan worked after all. By the way, Yeri, I didn’t follow any of your advice.”

Instantly, they all bombard him with questions, especially Yerim. Doyoung and Jungwoo are both holding each other, screaming and jumping around like fools. Meanwhile, Irene looks even more shocked than when she saw the 11 next to Donghyuck’s face.

Jaemin doesn’t say anything, instead, settles for his classic smile. He tells everyone he’s going to bed, and Jeno follows him into his room. Throughout these few days, they’ve gotten closer than before. Every night, they’d fall asleep a little closer to each other and every morning, they wake up in each other’s arms.

Jeno’s the first to hop into the shower, while Jaemin brushes his teeth. It’s not awkward at all, they’ve seen each other naked plenty of times before. Somehow, tonight, when Jeno comes out, Jaemin’s face is all red and he looks uncomfortable. Jeno doesn’t question him though, thinking it’s probably just all the stress from the Games.

Tomorrow, they’ll have the entire day to prepare for the interview. Then, the day after tomorrow, it’s the interview. The interviews are held on the eve of the Games. Since the beginning of times, they were always hosted by the Suh family. This year, it’s Johnny’s fourth time as a host. Unlike his past family members, he’s more likable, more fun to talk to. The main goals of the interviews are for the tributes to directly talk to the Capitol and for Johnny to make them look as good as possible. It’s the perfect opportunity to find a sponsor.

Jaemin joins Jeno in bed not too long after. Tonight, they’re so close that their noses are almost touching, and Jeno feels at ease. The lights are off and they’re sharing the same bed sheets. The moment is incredibly intimate, yet Jeno doesn’t think it’s weird at all.

“Congrats on your 10,” Jaemin murmurs. Jeno can feel his breath on his lips and smiles at the warmth. “I told you you’d do good. You’re Lee Jeno, after all.”

“Says the guy who scored a 12,” Jeno quietly giggles, staring into Jaemin’s eyes. Even in the dark, they’re shining. “How on earth did you do that?”

“You can’t tell anyone,” Jaemin whispers, moving even closer to Jeno. Now, their noses are touching. “Not even the mentors or Doyoung, okay?”

Jeno slowly nods in confusion.

“Seriously, you have to promise me,” Jaemin looks alarmed and Jeno is starting to get a little worried. “Mentors talk to each other and sometimes, it just slips. I don’t want any tribute to know what I did.”

“I promise,” Jeno replies with a tiny voice. He’s good at keeping secrets.

“I charmed my way through the session,” Jaemin starts quietly, closing his eyes as if he’s regretting what he has done. “When I entered, I noticed the Gamemakers weren’t even paying attention to me.”

“I figured.”

“If they didn’t look at me, I would’ve gotten a mediocre score. So, I grabbed a blowgun and blew a dart at them. It landed at their feet.”

Jeno’s eyes widen in shock. “Is that even allowed?”

Jaemin just shrugs and continues. “That’s how I got their attention. Then, I started profusely apologizing to them, stroking their ego. I talked during the whole time, but they seemed pretty pleased by what I was saying.”

Jeno lightly shoves him away. “Nana!” he scrunches his nose. Jaemin just wants to boop it. “Are you dumb? This could’ve ended terribly!”

“And it didn’t,” Jaemin grins triumphally.

✦

The entire day before the interviews is dedicated to the mentors to prepare their tributes for the final night. Jeno and Jaemin train separately because according to Yerim, it’ll go much faster.

Jeno starts his day off with Ten. Ten’s supposed to teach him how to properly sit, how to properly talk and most importantly, his _posture._ Jeno has a horrible posture, and Ten couldn’t stop talking about it since the day of the Reaping. In fact, Jeno and Jaemin are the same height, yet sometimes, depending on how bad Jeno’s posture is that day, Jaemin can look a head taller than him.

“Try lifting your chin up,” Ten says pensively. “Yes, that’s it! Now, straighten your back!”

Jeno tries his best to follow Ten’s instructions but fails miserably. “No!” Ten screeches, scandalized. “Don’t let out your belly! I said, straighten your back! Pop your butt out!”

Jeno feels extremely awkward and wonders how Jungwoo sits like that on a daily basis. “I look stupid,” he sighs as he goes back to his original position. “Plus, I don’t see why that matters. Everyone has seen me standing like this at the Reaping, and some people still want to sponsor me.”

Ten can’t disagree to that.

In the afternoon, Jeno and Jaemin switch places. The mentors, Irene and Yerim, are supposed to help him find the persona he should take during the interview.

“It shouldn’t be a surprise to you that we’re going for the sweetheart concept,” Yerim tells him. “You don’t need to act, just talk like you normally do. If you don’t understand a question, act confused. It’s adorable, the public will love it.”

“But,” Irene quickly adds. “I’ve noticed that you became less and less sweet during these past days here. Maybe we should practice a bit?”

Now that she mentions it, it’s true. Jeno doesn’t let down his guard as easily as before and he doesn’t smile at everyone anymore. Spending all this time with the other tributes made him realize how terrifying everyone is and how not everyone will want to be his friend in the arena.

“Can you tell me how you felt when your sister and your friend volunteered for you?” Yerim asks him out of the blue.

Jeno shakes his head vigorously. “No way I’m talking about this. The Reaping is a touchy subject for me.”

Irene groans, rolling her eyes. “What you did is something no one has ever done before. Yeah, your 10 and your eye smile might’ve attracted a few people, but most of your sponsors are interested in you because of the Reaping. You can’t escape it, whether you like it or not.”

“I’ll figure something out when the time will come,” Jeno declares, crossing his arms on his chest. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fine,” Irene gives up. “Coaching Jaemin was way easier.”

“What do you mean?”

Yerim impatiently taps her foot on the ground. “Well, you haven’t exactly been cooperative.”

“What kind of concept is Jaemin doing?”

“Obviously your average heartthrob,” Irene responds. “He’s naturally good at that. Listen Jeno, people like you because you’re naturally good at being kind. You’re kind, your smile looks kind, everything about you reeks of kindness! You have to use it at your advantage.”

They spend the rest of their time practicing other questions. As long as the subject isn’t the Reaping, everything goes well. At the end of the coaching, the two mentors even praise him.

Like usual, they eat dinner and chat about the big day tomorrow. Jeno and Jaemin try to guess and type of clothes their stylists will make them wear. When they’re done, they go to Jaemin’s room to get ready to sleep.

In the morning, the pair gets woken up by their preparation team. It’s chaotic, seeing a dozen people in the room. Their own preparation team drags them to a separate room.

The preparation team spends the entire morning cleaning Jeno up, applying his makeup and doing his hair. Doyoung only shows up late in the afternoon with a suit cover bag. Jeno assumes his outfit is in there.

What he’ll be wearing tonight looks a lot like what he wore at the Reaping, except fancier and prettier. The top is baby blue, the exact color of his Reaping dress shirt. The sleeves and the back of the top are sheer, exposing some of Jeno’s skin. For the bottom, he’ll be wearing simple black trousers.

“What do you think?” Doyoung bites his lip nervously. Wearing something similar to what he wore at the Reaping is very risky, but Jeno thinks it’s worth it, considering the concept his mentors gave him.

“It’s perfect,” Jeno smiles at him. Doyoung really did well this year. Hopefully, he’ll get promoted to a better district next year.

They walk together to the elevator where they meet Jaemin and Jungwoo. Jaemin looks magnificent in his all-white tuxedo. _The ladies will definitely fall for him tonight._

They compliment each other on their way to the television set. Backstage, they meet with the rest of the team; Ten, Irene and Yerim. Ten can’t stop calling Jaemin handsome and when he sees Jeno, tears almost fall out of his eyes.

“You look so pure,” Ten sniffs, looking up to prevent the tears from coming out. “Just like at the Reaping.”

Most of the tributes are wearing suits. Every year, it’s always the girls’ dresses that draw the most attention while boys settle for the same thing. The boy from 8 is wearing a similar white tuxedo to Jaemin’s, but Jaemin pulls it off much better than him.

The adults tell Jeno and Jaemin good luck before leaving them on their own with the rest of the tributes. They’ll be seated in the front row of the crowd, where the cameras will film them when their district will be named.

Tonight, everyone’s going to be glued to their television. Even Jeno’s little brother, who usually doesn’t watch the Games, has always loved to watch the interviews. His favorite part is the girls’ dresses, so he’ll be very disappointed this year. Jeno wonders if his parents will make him go to bed early tonight since this year, Jeno’s going to be on the screen.

Johnny Suh, the host, hops on stage and greets the crowd excitedly. He starts off by thanking the public for joining him and cracks a few jokes before calling the first tribute of District 1, Muyeol. He confidently walks on stage with his blazer _and nothing underneath._ Everyone is screaming at the tone muscles of his chest, and Johnny can’t help but tease him about it.

“Very daring,” Jeno whispers in Jaemin’s ear, a little scandalized.

Both of District 1’s tributes are ruthless murderers. They do laugh at Johnny’s jokes, but most of the time, they keep talking about how they’re going to win by killing every single person. One of them even threatens to hurt the crowd if he wins. The crowd loves it though, entertained by their intimidating personalities.

Then, it’s Lee Donghyuck from District 2’s turn. Unlike the previous boys, Donghyuck doesn’t get the crowd on his side by intimidating them. He and Johnny are the perfect comedic duo, and the Capitol loves it. However, when Johnny congratulates him about his 11, Donghyuck replies with:

“I could’ve done better. There’s someone out there with a better score than me and I will not hesitate to skin them if I have to.”

Even though the Capitol loves seeing children murdering each other, they draw the line at skinning someone alive. They all gasp, scandalized, and Johnny does his best at turning the mood around. Jeno worriedly glances at Jaemin who’s smiling. Right. The cameras must be filming him right now since he's the one who got the 12.

“Haha!” he bursts out laughing. Donghyuck laughs too. “What a jokester! I think you’re smarter than that Donghyuck! Wouldn’t it be better for you to keep him as an ally?”

“Yes, that’s what I meant.”

_This is not what he meant._

Right before the buzzer sounds to mark the end of his interview, Johnny asks him one last question. “So, Donghyuck, tell me. A strong boy like you, you probably have tons of girls who are head over heels for you! Am I right ladies?”

The crowd cheers.

Donghyuck’s lips curve up, and he pretends to be shocked. It’s a little too exaggerated for it to be real. “Actually, I do have someone back home. But it’s not a girl.”

The girls in the crowd whine. “Win this and get him, okay? You got this,” Johnny pats him sympathetically on the back.

“I’m afraid it won’t be possible,” Donghyuck sighs, looking over his shoulder as if he was looking for someone backstage. The crowd, confused, is whispering. Johnny looks puzzled as well, so he’s looking over his shoulder too.

“Why are you looking there?” he asks, still smiling widely. “Is your special someone backstage?”

Donghyuck turns back around to face the audience, lowers his head and smiles sadly. It’s so believable that Jeno doesn’t know if he’s acting or not.

“Oh my God, he is,” Johnny says as the crowd gasps with him. The entire set is silent, you could literally hear a fly. Jeno looks over at the screen and sees Mark’s face on it. He looks a little surprised before looking down at his feet.

Then, the buzzer sounds, meaning it’s the end of Donghyuck’s interview. Meanwhile, Jeno looks over at Jaemin, extremely confused. Over the years, it’s not that rare to see a tribute declare their love for another tribute. Most of the time, it’s within the same district, but sometimes, they can also find love in the span of not even a week. But never, never in one-hundred-twenty-five years has a Career played the star-crossed lovers’ card.

Like always, it’s probably a strategy, because there is no way two people who are in love with each other end up in the Hunger Games together. What are the odds, right? Usually, this strategy works out well. The Capitol is obsessed with love stories, especially forbidden ones. But for the Careers to do it…

Next up, it’s Mark. Of course, Johnny throws away all of his prepared questions and bombards Mark with questions about his relationship with Donghyuck. Mark answers them with ease, too much ease. _It’s an act._

“Tell me, Mark,” Johnny leans his body towards him as if they’re the only ones in the room. “What do you feel about your lover’s 11? It must be scary for you to know that he’s so strong.”

Mark’s lips curve into a small smile and he stares into Johnny’s eyes. “I’m not scared of him, I’m proud of him.”

He says it with so much emotions that the entire audience, even a few other tributes, coo. In the corner of his eyes, Jeno sees Donghyuck smirking. _Mark should’ve become an actor,_ Jeno thinks to himself.

“Hyuckie isn’t the monster everyone makes him seem to be,” Mark continues with a shaky voice. He’s really putting all the efforts into his act. “I know who he is deep inside, and I’m not scared of him.”

The tributes from District 1 are the ones who look the most disgusted by that statement, but the Capitol absolutely loves it. They cheer for them and some are even crying.

“They really believe that shit, huh?” Jeno mumbles out loud, arms crossed on his chest. “Can’t believe out of anyone who could’ve done it, it’s the boys from 2. I didn’t think Careers could swoop that low.”

“Hmm,” is all Jaemin has to say.

The next tribute who’s called is Renjun. He’s all smiles and Johnny is more than excited to see him. The host makes the brilliant decision of not bringing up his score since it’s pretty bad. However, he does ask him about whether or not he’s confident in winning.

“I might not be the best fighter,” Renjun starts. “But, I believe no weapons could match a brain.”

“Clever answer!” Johnny exclaims. “I love it! Do you love it too? Give a round of applause for Huang Renjun, District 3!”

Even though the audience still claps, it’s significantly less loud than when they cheered for Donghyuck and Mark. Their plan is working perfectly and suddenly, all of Jeno’s remaining confidence is vanishing away. Clearly, the Capitol isn’t interested in the other tributes anymore. Not even when Chenle, who is looking adorable in his outfit, tells a story about his first time using a trident.

Jisung is one of the quieter ones. He avoids eye contact with the camera and has this habit of playing with his fingers. Since he’s the youngest tribute this year, Johnny goes out of his way to make him liked by the Capitol. But, Jisung doesn’t reciprocate the efforts as he only answers with one-liners.

Finally, Jeno’s name is called. Like if everything is a dream, Jeno walks on stage, the lights blinding him for a second, before sitting down on the chair next to Johnny. The crowd laughs for some reason and Jeno can’t help but frown a little. He tries to find his District 12 team, and he finds them right away in the front row. Ten and Yerim are giggling together while Irene looks a bit worried.

“Are you okay there, Jeno?” Johnny cackles, slapping his hand on his thigh. The crowd joins him when Jeno furrows his eyebrows even more.

“Huh?”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be nervous!” Johnny exclaims. “I got you!”

In the crowd, Jeno spots Irene pulling her lips into a smile with her fingers. She points at him. _Oh, she wants me to smile._

“I’m sorry,” Jeno breathes, loosening up. His frown is quickly replaced by a smile. “The lights, the cameras, the thousands of people in the crowd… Everything is so overwhelming!”

The audience laughs once again. _It wasn’t even funny!_ Jeno rolls his eyes mentally.

“First of all,” Johnny turns around to face the crowd. “How has the Capitol been treating you! What’s your favorite thing here?”

“The showers,” Jeno blurts out, not thinking twice about his answer. He must sound so stupid right now and Jeno just wants to punch himself in the face. Somehow, the Capitol loves it and bursts out laughing. “The jets are so strong, and the water is so hot. I’ve never experienced something like that in District 12.”

“Oh my, I’m glad we could give you that,” Johnny chuckles. “Am I right folks?”

Jeno awkwardly laughs along with the crowd. In the front row, Ten and Jungwoo look like they’re about to pop a vein out from laughing, while Doyoung and Irene look stressed as hell. Yerim is smiling and gives two thumbs up to Jeno.

“You’re so adorable!” Johnny continues when the crowd has calmed down a bit. “Those moon eyes of yours, they’re precious! A cute boy like you probably has lots of friends. Are there any nicknames people like to give you?”

Oh no, the questions are starting to get personal. He frantically looks for Irene and calms down a little when he sees her glaring at him. Jeno knows he can’t let his emotions come in between the questions.

“Most of my friends call me Jen,” Jeno continues smiling. “They think it’s too much work to pronounce two syllables.”

“I totally know what you mean,” Johnny nods rapidly. “I don’t like it when people call me John. Like is it too hard to call me Johnny?”

“Oh, I like Jen,” Jeno clarifies, his cheeks heating up. “But my favorite one is the nickname my little brother calls me; Nono.”

The crowd coos. “Absolutely adorable!” Johnny shouts into his microphone. “I bet some of you guys will call your future children Nono, am I right?”

Normally, this is a weird thing to say, but it’s the Capitol where everything is strange, and the crowd is now chanting “Nono!”.

It takes a while for Johnny to calm the crowd down and take back control of the stage. “I couldn’t help but notice, Jeno, that your outfit tonight has a striking resemblance to what you wore at the Reaping. Is it just me?”

The audience responds with: “No!”

Jeno tries to keep a smile on his face, even though he knows Johnny’s about to ask the question that dreads him the most. “Yes. My stylist, Doyoung, thought the Capitol might like it.”

“Trust me, we do!” Johnny squeals excitedly. Then, he lowers down his voice a bit, his expression more serious. “I know this might be a sensitive subject for you, but I think everyone here tonight is dying to know what went through your head during the Reaping. Can you tell us?”

Irene’s glares aren’t enough to calm him down this time. Jeno wants to burst out of tears, but he knows he needs to control himself if he wants to find a sponsor. He can’t waste all the hard work his team did for him throughout these days. If he wants a chance to come back alive, he needs to compose himself and say exactly what the Capitol wants him to say. The thought of his entire family watching him on their tiny television screen makes his heart ache.

_No, I can’t tell you. But for them, for my family, I can._

“My mind went blank when my name was called,” Jeno sighs and everyone goes quiet. “The thing that brought me back to reality was my sister volunteering for me.”

He replays the scene in his head and already feels the tears coming up his throat. _Not now, Jeno. You need to be strong for them._

“I always thought I was the one supposed to protect her, but that day, she protected me.”

Despite everything, Jeno’s proud of his little sister for being brave enough to volunteer for him. He’s not worried at all about her future and trusts her into taking care of the family if he doesn’t come back.

“Seeing her fight like that really made me realize how hard that was.”

“What was hard, Jeno?” Johnny asks.

 _The Games,_ Jeno responds in his head. However, he’s aware that he can’t say that, it’d be an insult to the Capitol. “Leaving your family behind,” he simply says. “I never thought I’d experience this feeling until that day.”

The crowd seems devastated by Jeno’s words; some are even crying.

“Then, Xuxi said something.”

“Xuxi,” Johnny scratches his chin. “Is it the name of that boy who volunteered for you?”

“Yes,” Jeno pauses for a second. He wonders if Yukhei’s watching him right now. “He’s one of my closest friends. I couldn’t let him take my place because we all knew that if he was here right now, it’d be a guaranteed death for him.”

“Of course,” Johnny nods with sympathy. “It’s very honorable that you didn’t let a disabled boy take your place.”

“But then after, he told me he wanted to take my place because his leg got infected. He needed surgery, but he couldn’t afford it. That’s why he wanted to die,” Jeno chokes a little. Thankfully, Johnny doesn’t comment on it. "This is so sweet,” he sighs along with the crowd. “Is he your lover or something?”

“No, absolutely not!” Jeno quickly adds. For some reason, an image of Jaemin appears in his head for a split-second and Jeno brushes that thought away. “We’re just friends.”

“So,” Johnny wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, completely changing the atmosphere on stage to something lighter. “Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend back home? Or even better, backstage?”

“No,” Jeno suddenly has an idea. He isn’t sure if his mentors would approve of it but fuck it. “And actually, I don’t think it’s a good thing to have someone you’re in love with in the arena.”

The cameras are probably pointed at the two District 2 boys right now, and Jeno smiles at the thought of their shocked faces.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s usually not love,” Jeno starts, the whole room listening to him attentively. “When it’s a life or death situation, people tend to get confused with their emotions. Sometimes, these emotions are non-existent. Some also like to use love to their advantage.”

He hopes the Capitol can understand what he means by that and realize that Mark and Donghyuck’s little scheme is all a lie. Jeno can’t bear to see these two have an advantage because of that star-crossed lovers strategy.

“If it’s true love,” Jeno continues. “Then, both of the tributes won’t fight for themselves to win. They’ll fight for their lover to win.”

Right after these words left his mouth, the sound of the buzzer rings through his head. Time’s up. Johnny thanks him for coming while the crowd loudly cheers for him. He finds Irene in the crowd, who smiles at him proudly and nods. _I didn’t fuck up._

On his way backstage, Jeno bumps into Jaemin who’s about to go on stage.

“That was so good,” Jaemin smiles at Jeno as he walks past him.

As expected, Jaemin’s absolutely shining on stage. He says the right words to flatter Johnny and the Capitol. The second he stepped on stage, Jeno knew the public loved him.

He makes Johnny genuinely laugh, flirts with the crowd and even winks at the camera. Jaemin’s born to do this.

“But Nana, please explain,” Johnny frowns. Yes, Jaemin gave him permission to call him Nana. “Your 12! How did you do it? Should everyone else be afraid of you?”

Obviously, Jaemin isn’t going to tell him the truth. Besides, he’s not supposed to tell what happened during the private session and he makes sure to let Johnny know about that.

“At least tell us if you think you have a chance of winning!” Johnny pleads. During the interview, Jaemin has been too secretive. He has this talent of making people think they know him without telling them anything too important about him. Jeno noticed it a long time ago and Johnny seems to catch on as well.

Jaemin smiles at the cameras and shakes his head sadly. “I would love to, but unfortunately, no.”

✦

Back on the twelfth floor, their team isn’t shy to congratulate them on their interviews. There’s nothing to say about Jaemin, he was perfect, and everyone already expected that. Irene praises Jeno for bringing the star-crossed lovers facade up.

“Unfortunately,” Yerim rolls her eyes. “The Capitol has no braincells and can’t figure out that it’s an act.”

“Wait, you mean that Mark and Donghyuck aren’t in love?” Ten gasps, wiping a tear away. “But their story is so cute! They look so in love.”

Doyoung and Jungwoo who are also part of the Capitol just scoff. Out of every Capitol citizens’ he has met, these two are the most normal in Jeno’s opinion. He wasn’t able to spend as much time with them as he wished, but Jeno is still going to miss them.

They eat dinner and everyone makes a big effort to make it enjoyable. Nobody mentions the Games tonight, and Ten has a lot of fun gossiping about some people he knows. But at the end of the evening, they have to face the truth; the Games start tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning, they’ll have to wake up early to prepare themselves. Even though the Games technically start at ten since the Capitol wakes up late, the tributes need to wake up in advance to get to the arena.

Irene and Yerim won’t be with them tomorrow. Tonight, they’ll already be in the streets of the city, trying to find as many sponsors as possible and start to elaborate a strategy right away. Ten will join them as well. Therefore, their stylists, Doyoung and Jungwoo will accompany them to the arena.

It’s time to say goodbye. Ten quickly kisses them on the cheeks. He’s wiping the tears out of his face. “I hate goodbyes.”

Before leaving, he tells Jeno and Jaemin not to sleep together in the same room tonight since they’ll have to leave separately in the morning. As soon as he leaves the room, Yerim tells them not to listen to him.

“That’s maybe the last moment of happiness you’ll have,” she says sadly. “Cherish it.”

“Any last advice?” Jeno asks with a shaky voice. He hates being emotional on times like this but seeing his mentors who are usually strong, sad, kind of touches him too.

“When the gong is going to sound, run away immediately,” Irene declares. “If there’s anything close to you, grab it, but don’t get into the Cornucopia. I know the weapons might look enticing to take, but you two don’t stand a chance in the Bloodbath. Especially you, Jaemin. With a 12, you’ve just become everyone’s biggest threat. I don’t know how you did that, but I don’t think you can fight off the Careers. Understood?”

They nod in sync.

“Try to find water,” Yerim adds. “Water and food will be your best friends in the arena. I’ll suggest you two to stick together at all cost. I don’t know if you’re still taking Renjun as an ally, but you need to decide quickly.”

“No,” Jaemin responds before Jeno could open his mouth.

Jeno can’t argue with that. He hasn’t even talked to Renjun since the last training day, and he knows that with his score of 4, Jeno won’t be able to convince Jaemin (even though their mentors told them not to worry about it).

“Okay, great,” Irene acquiesces. “That’ll make our jobs easier. Sleep early guys, you don’t know if you’ll be able to sleep in the arena.”

They all hug each other before their mentors leave as well. The boys shower in their own room, but after that, Jeno joins Jaemin in his room. The lights are already off, and Jaemin’s laying on his back, fixing the ceiling.

“What’s up?” Jeno hops on to the bed.

“I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Jaemin breathes out, still staring at the ceiling. His eyes are a little puffy and Jeno wonders if he cried in the shower earlier. “I can’t stop thinking about tomorrow.”

“I’m scared too,” Jeno whispers, getting closer to his best friend. He snuggles his head under his arm and wraps his arms around Jaemin's body. “I’m not ready to die.”

“You won’t,” Jaemin murmurs as he’s playing in Jeno’s hair. He turns around to put his chin on the top of Jeno’s head.

The moment is strangely familiar, and Jeno can’t help but think what happened around two years ago.

Jeno and Jaemin had their first kiss when they were fifteen. It was during the winter, right after a snowstorm had hit the district. The merchants had no problem to adapt to the weather, but people from the Seam like Jeno almost froze to the death. The snowstorm meant more power cuts. It was hard for Jeno to walk around in the forest. The snow was almost up to his waist, and he was too poor to afford snowshoes.

Thankfully, Jaemin’s family warmly welcomed them. Jeno will remember that moment forever. At school, Jaemin complained about the cafeteria serving almost no food, and Jeno responded with: “At least, it’s better than what I eat at home.”

Jaemin asked his parents to invite the Lee family to their house for a week. Jeno’s little sister and brother slept on the couch while his parents slept in the guestroom. Meanwhile, he stayed in Jaemin’s room.

One night, they were cuddling, when Jaemin suddenly pecked the top of Jeno’s head.

“What are you doing?” the older one of the two whispered-yelled, trying not to wake the others up, but still wanting to get his point across.

“Kissing you,” Jaemin replied as if it was the most casual thing ever. “You don’t need to freak out about it.”

“Why?” Jeno blinked, confused.

Jaemin pulled away from Jeno’s arms and sat down on the bed. Jeno followed his movement and soon, they were both sitting on the bed, way too close for them to be “just friends”.

“Have you ever kissed anyone?” Jaemin asked out of the blue. Jeno shook his head. At school, no one caught his attention. Besides, with studying hard to get good grades and working hard to keep his family alive, Jeno didn’t exactly have the time to kiss people.

Jaemin closed the tiny gap between them by slowly pressing his lips against Jeno’s. Taken by surprise, Jeno opened his mouth a little and Jaemin took this chance to slide his tongue in. It didn’t last long, probably only a second or two before Jaemin pulled away with a smirk on his face.

Then, without saying anything, he went to sleep. The next day, Jaemin acted as if everything was normal and Jeno started to think that last night was just a dream. At school, Jaemin didn’t stop kissing other people, so Jeno quickly brushed away the thought of Jaemin liking him.

✦

In the morning, Jeno wakes up in his room. He doesn’t have time to understand what happened because Doyoung is already dragging him out of the bed. He makes him dress up simply. Jeno doesn’t forget about Mr. Na’s gift that was sitting on his night desk the whole time.

They head over to the roof and there, there is already a hovercraft waiting for them in the sky. A hovercraft is a type of aircraft used by the Capitol. Most of the times, they’re used to monitor the districts, but today, the hovercraft will bring Jeno to the arena.

A ladder comes down of the hovercraft. When Jeno grabs onto it, his entire body is immediately paralyzed, and the ladder goes back up by itself. Inside of the hovercraft, a lady wearing a white lab coat approaches him with a big needle.

“I’m going to give you your tracker,” she hisses as she grabs Jeno’s arm. The pain is excruciating when she literally stabs him with the needle. It’ll only get worse from now on. Now, the Gamemakers will know exactly where Jeno will be in the arena.

As soon as she’s done, Doyoung gets pulled up by the ladder. They walk together to a room where breakfast is served. Soon, the windows of the hovercraft turn darker, blocking the outside view for those who are inside. They must be approaching the arena.

“Try to eat something,” Doyoung softly says as he pushes a plate of pancakes in front of him. “Who knows when’s going to be your next meal?”

Jeno’s too anxious to eat anything, but he still follows his stylist’s advice. Even though he’s used to being starved, starting with a little advantage won’t hurt him.

“Is that your personal token?” Doyoung asks as his finger point at the necklace around Jeno’s neck.

“Yeah. Jaemin’s dad gave it to me,” he doesn’t know why he shares this information with Doyoung, but he does.

“It’s beautiful,” Doyoung smiles. “Mind if I take it for a second? I need to show it to the lady from earlier, to make sure it’s harmless.”

Jeno nods and hands him over the necklace as he continues to stuff himself with food. The entire ride takes about half an hour. The hovercraft lands on the ground and the ladder drops them off somewhere underground. It’s the Launch room.

Jeno does he usual morning routine; showering, brushing his teeth, doing his hair… Doyoung helps him dress up in the official Games’ attire.

“A wetsuit, a jacket and a pair of boots,” Doyoung thinks out loud. “It’s hard to predict how the arena will be. One thing is sure, you’ll probably be swimming.”

It’s not a problem for Jeno, he has swum before. He’s more worried for Jaemin.

“The jacket also looks like it’s supposed to keep your body heat in,” Doyoung adds as he touches the fabric. “It probably won’t be too hot either.”

 _Swimming in the cold?_ Jeno shivers at the thought. _That’s horrible._

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Doyoung says as he takes something out of his pocket. The necklace. He puts it around Jeno’s neck and pats him on the shoulder.

“This is it,” Jeno splutters out. He feels his whole body shaking under Doyoung’s hand. “I’m going to die.”

“Don’t say that,” Doyoung pulls him into a hug. “Remember what the girls’ said. Find water, food, and Jaemin. The rest will be fine.”

Jeno nods. Doyoung’s right. He needs to control his emotions and focus. The first seconds of the Games will be crucial.

“May Lee Jeno get ready for the launching,” a suave feminine voice calls out from the intercom.

They pull away from the hug and Doyoung leads Jeno to the tribute tube, from where he’ll be transported to the arena. Right when Jeno steps on the Launch plate, a metal disk, the glass tube comes down on him, separating him from Doyoung.

This is it.

Doyoung gives him one last smile and a thumbs up before the plate starts moving up. For a few seconds, it’s completely dark. But not too long after, Jeno feels the wind breeze coming from outside.

He needs to blink a couple of times to get adjusted to the sun. In front of him, there’s sand. Tons of sand. A few meters away from him, it’s the Cornucopia.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jeno hears Johnny’s way too familiar voice through the speakers. “May the 125th Hunger Games begin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dunnnn, the games will be starting in the next chapter! kudos and comments are really appreciated :))


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